Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Opposite day as decision making strategy An article in Inside Higher Ed about saying “no” and a question on a forum that I participate in combined to make me aware of a strategy that might be helpful when faced with a difficult decision. What if the default was “No”? […]
Read More »Ethos & Influences
There is lots of advice out there about academic writing and academic careers. Posts in this category elaborate on some of the things mentioned on the about page to give you a better sense of how I approach academic work and the relationship between academic work and other parts of your life. Subcategories include:
When another project is distracting you from this one
This post is part of a series on Optimizing Focus. Finding it hard to focus is normal. Self-flagellation does not work to improve your focus. Furthermore it takes time and energy that takes you away from your writing; it is another distraction. I firmly believe that you can approach your work compassionately rather than violently. […]
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What are you waiting for?
Are there things you’d really love to be doing but aren’t? It could be anything: spending more time with your kids writing something different from what you’ve been writing using your research to serve the needs of some community … You are probably telling yourself some story about why you can’t do it. That story […]
Read More »Doing what you want to do
At the beginning of every session of A Meeting With Your Writing I used to ask participants to make a list of all the writing/research projects that they consider active. I then asked them which one of those they most want to work on during the next 90 minutes. It might be the one that would be most […]
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When your work doesn’t look like work
You’re tired of the popular misconception that academics get the whole summer off. Are you letting that public perception affect how you work? Are you working indoors at your desk? Are you working during “normal working hours”? Are you avoiding the hammock? The patio? The dock? Are you saving gardening, long walks in the woods, and […]
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When you start to hate what you loved.
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · When you start to hate what you love You started on your academic path because you loved your work. You were excited and interested in a particular area of scholarship. But somewhere along the line you lost that connection, temporarily or permanently. It may have started to feel like […]
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What is an “efficient” writing practice?
A few conversations I’ve had recently, with clients and on Twitter, have reminded me that we have some interesting ideas about “efficiency“. It’s as if you have a gremlin observing your writing practice like a time and motion consultant. Maybe you feel more comfortable printing out articles and making notes by hand in the margin. […]
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The value of experiments
There are better and worse ways of doing things, but there is rarely One Right Way that works for everyone. Whatever it is that you want to do, you need to decide the best way for you. Researching your options can help narrow things down, but there comes a point when you need to experiment. […]
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Small steps yield big results
Whether it’s the New Academic Year or the New (Calendar) Year, you probably have some New Year’s Resolutions! It is tempting to set big goals. However, every big goal is achieved by a set of very small steps. Small steps are much less overwhelming than big changes. A post from Peter Shankman on Why Inspirational Quotes […]
Read More »Expectations
As an academic you are expected to do a lot of things, expectations that appear increasingly unreasonable. You may need to do more work than you think is reasonable but you do not need to collude in the erasure of the political agency of others. What happens if you stop using the passive voice when talking about those expectations?
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Boundaries, balance and the whole you
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Boundaries, Balance, and the Whole You The term “work-life balance” is out of favour. I’m not sure why. Perhaps because everyone is working so hard it seems like an impossible dream. I came across a recent piece in Harvard Business Review arguing for the importance of boundaries. They are not […]
Read More »Enjoyment and hard work
My friend Norma Miller posted this picture with a jokey comment her friend made: “A friend told me that if I was smiling, I wasn’t trying hard enough.” That kind of joke is not a joke That kind of joke causes injuries. That kind of joke makes you doubt yourself. You push yourself harder. You stop trusting your own […]
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