In Optimizing Focus: 3 elements to consider, I outlined three elements that affect your focus during a writing session: the task itself, how you are feeling, and the context. I have written a series of follow up articles going into more detail about what that framework looks like in practice. I use the term “optimize” […]
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Risking doing the work you find meaningful
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Risking doing the work you find meaningful A longstanding imaginary-friend-on-the-Internet, who now runs a very successful online business, once said that something I’d said to them years ago had been pivotal to their success. I had no idea what they were talking about. Apparently, back when we were both […]
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Do you need to be excellent?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Do you need to be excellent? I have written before about “doing your best” being a distraction and instead encouraged you to focus on doing good work. In this post, I want to extend that argument using a recently published scholarly article as a jumping off point. (You can […]
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Introducing That Selfish Bastard
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Introducing That Selfish Bastard A couple of recent client conversations renewed my motivation to write more about managing the number of things you are juggling. Those conversations made me realize that you want to say yes to things. You value community, collaboration, and collegiality. There’s just a lot more going […]
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The frustrations of peer review: why is it taking so long?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · The frustrations of peer review: Why is it taking so long? This is part of a short series addressing the frustration with how long peer review takes. Other posts in this series include How you, as a peer reviewer, can contribute to a better process and The Role of Journal […]
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Do you suffer from Imposter Syndrome?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Do you suffer from impostor syndrome? That’s one of those faux-medical terms for a Very Real Thing. You feel like you don’t really belong, you aren’t really qualified, and at any moment someone is going to find out and your whole life will come crashing down. It’s related to […]
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Autonomy & asking for help
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Autonomy & asking for help You are smart and competent. You work in an environment that values autonomy. You value autonomy. You feel like you should be able to do things yourself. However, you are also part of a complex division of labour in which other people’s work supports your daily existence. You […]
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Managing your workload by creating containers
One way to get some control over how much time and energy you give to certain kinds of legitimate requests is to create a container for that kind of work.
Just as it is easier to store flour if you pour it into something with firm sides and a lid (so it doesn’t just flow all over the counter), some tasks can benefit from being contained in particular time periods or particular spaces.
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When does Reading count as Writing?
In the intro to A Meeting With Your Writing I ask participants to list everything that comes to mind when they ask this question: “What does this writing project need to move forward?” I give them 30 – 60 seconds to write. Then I ask them to select the thing on that list that they […]
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Occasionally my yoga teacher focuses on transitions. While the poses themselves are important, how we move from one pose to another is also worthy of attention. Academic work is complex. You do a lot of different things in a day. In addition to thinking about how you do the specific tasks — email, teaching, writing, […]
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Beginning of term chaos is temporary
It doesn’t matter if this is your first year in the job or your 20th. The beginning of term is chaos. This is temporary. It will only last a week or two. Then you will settle into the normal rhythm of term time. Adjust your priorities During beginning of term chaos you can temporarily suspend some […]
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What counts as “writing”?
I have a theory about writer’s block. It’s a theory that involves gremlins. You sit down to write. And then this gremlin turns up. Just as you are about to type something the gremlin says something from this list. What do you mean, you don’t know where this goes or what it’s going to be? […]
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