Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Spotlight On: Confidence Confidence is another thing a lot of people struggle with. It is related to Imposter Syndrome but is not quite the same thing. And, like Imposter Syndrome, lack of confidence isn’t an issue that will ever go away completely. It’s normal to lack confidence (sometimes). It’s […]
Read More »Self-Confidence
Posts in this category discuss self-confidence and the practices that build and maintain your confidence.
F**k Confidence. Settle into ease instead.
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · F**k Confidence. Settle into ease instead. Although confidence is bandied about as an individual, empowering thing, it’s also an insidious neoliberal, capitalist, patriarchal ideal that can often be more harmful than not. It tells us that: ‘you just have to be confident!’ ‘just do it!” ‘just be yourself!” ‘fake […]
Read More »On research and emotional entanglement
A Note from Jo: This post has been repubished from Liz Gloyn’s own blog site, because it is relevant to the struggles I know my clients and Studio members unfortunately go through on a regular basis. Term has finished, the Christmas tree is up, and I’ve got a week before annual leave kicks in… so […]
Read More »Autism & Imposter Syndrome
A note from Jo: On 28 October 2023 Daniel Sohege posted a thread on Bluesky and Twitter about what they call “Autistic Imposter Syndrome”. I recognized much of what they described from conversations with an autistic friend. They kindly agreed to have me turn it into a guest post here. I’ve kept their name for […]
Read More »Survivor guilt & imposter syndrome: When you are one of the lucky few
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Survivor guilt & imposter syndrome: When you are one of the lucky few If there is one thing most of my clients, newsletter readers, and social media followers are familiar with, it’s gremlins shouting “Imposter!” at unhelpful moments. I use the term “gremlins” to personify the voices in your […]
Read More »Who are you writing for?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide | Who are you writing for? One thing that’s difficult about writing a book is its scope. There is a lot of material to organize. It’s too big to hold in your head. It’s hard to maintain your motivation when you won’t see a finished product for a long time. […]
Read More »What is Real Writing anyway?
At the beginning of every planning class in the Academic Writing Studio, I ask participants a set of questions about what they did in the previous period. We focus on writing, and I ask questions about how much time they protected, what they worked on, and how those projects advanced. I do this in the monthly […]
Read More »Making Decisions about your writing
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Making decisions about writing This is a belated addition to the Making Decisions series that begins with Managing the energy you use to make decisions, published in August 2021. You might want to read the introductory post first. You can also find links to other posts in the series […]
Read More »Spotlight On: Meaningfulness Matters
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Meaningfulness Matters: A Spotlight I have been supporting academics with research and writing in some way since 2005. It took several years for my business to evolve into what it is today, but one thing that has remained consistent is my belief that focusing on what matters to you […]
Read More »Optimizing Focus when your project brings up difficult emotions
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Optimizing focus when your project brings up difficult emotions At the end of A Meeting With Your Writing one day, a participant shared how she’d managed her focus on a project that brings up difficult emotions. I’ve been dealing with one thing that was very hard … with some […]
Read More »Introducing: the Academic Writing Studio
The Beginning When I started A Meeting With Your Writing back in September 2011, I didn’t even know if it would work. All I knew was that virtual accountability and community was needed, and that I was prepared to facilitate something that might help. Now, it feels central to everything I do. Participants have told […]
Read More »Yes, you should take sick leave.
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Yes, you should take sick leave Note: I currently live in the UK and have previously lived in Canada. My statements are based in the general employment situation that pertains in those countries and countries like them, where there is significant employment protection in law, and significant levels of […]
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