This little Italian tomato has been popping up in my tweet-stream, blog comments, blog posts I read, and other places around the Internet. It looks like a really cool technique. (There is a video on that site that explains the basics.) Lots of people are using it and getting good results. So why do I […]
Read More »Experiments
Changing your relationship to planning
Did my post on planning make you think about changing how much planning you do? Did a gremlin (or six) turn up to tell you what a big risk that would be? This is not surprising. After all writing is an important part of your work. A lot is riding on it. Maybe no one […]
Read More »Does your office inspire your best work?
During a coaching session a client mentioned how much she loved teaching. She looked forward to being in the classroom. Colour was really important to her. She brought a tool box full of coloured markers and other supplies that she used to teach in an interactive way that involved lots of visual work and colour. […]
Read More »How do you work best?
Do you need to talk through your ideas with other people? Or, do you need time to really think things over without distraction? Does physical activity, like walking or running, stimulate your thinking? Does creative activity not directly related to your work, like painting or quilting, stimulate your thinking? Do you work better in the […]
Read More »You are not a procrastinator: Will you look like a fool?
I’ve had more than one client recently worry about their inability to get down to their writing. This is not a minor problem. It can lead you to question your ability to do the work you are doing and to question your own identity. If you aren’t an academic and a writer, who are you? […]
Read More »You are not a procrastinator: What needs your attention?
I’ve had more than one client recently worry about their inability to get down to their writing. This is not a minor problem. It can lead you to question your ability to do the work you are doing and to question your own identity. If you aren’t an academic and a writer, who are you? […]
Read More »People vary
This post is part of an occasional series about how yoga influences how I work with clients. I don’t expect you to do yoga. Ever. In your whole life. The point of this series is that yoga has taught me some interesting things about how to approach other things. Differences are not necessarily things we […]
Read More »What would make your job better?
I want to plant a seed that can slowly germinate in the back of your mind. What would it mean to you for your job to be “better”? Is there anything you have control over that might make a difference? What is the smallest thing you could do? If thinking about your job feels like […]
Read More »Don’t you worry it’ll be a waste of time?
One of the participants in a workshop about post-PhD careers asked the question in the title. We were talking about not knowing what jobs might suit us and the value of taking short-term contracts or taking jobs to try them out, knowing that we could move on in a year or two to something else. […]
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Are you waiting for permission?
One of the attractions of an academic career is the autonomy it affords. That means no one is going to give you permission. Or, perhaps more accurately, they already have.
Trusting your judgement is hard. You risk criticism. Disapproval. Perhaps even attack. Even though criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, many academics struggle with it.
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