Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Don’t Do Your Best! You know all about perfectionism and why it isn’t equivalent to “striving for excellence“, but is actually a psychological problem that seriously hampers your work. (If you don’t, read the pieces linked here, and maybe talk to a mental health professional.) But I bet you […]
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Academic citizenship & getting better at saying no
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Academic citizenship & getting better at saying no There are a lot of tasks that when done well, no one even notices. They are essential to the smooth running of your department, institution, and scholarly association, and yet they are often invisible. Even if doing the actual tasks gets […]
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Your colleagues aren’t any better at saying no than you are
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Your colleagues aren’t any better at saying no than you are Do you struggle to prioritize and set boundaries? Do you have so much to do that some of the most important things are not getting the time and attention they need? Has someone advised that you need to […]
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What is the point of publishing peer-reviewed articles if you care about changing things out there in the world?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Peer-reviewed articles and changing things out there in the world I want to write more about some of the practical applications of the general point I made in Communication vs Validation: Why are you publishing?. In particular, I want to connect my approach to writing and publishing with the […]
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What an academic career looks like
There are a lot of different ways to have an academic career. Your academic career is affected by both your own values and desires, and by forces beyond your control. Although a lot of academic career advice suggests that there is a clear path to success, there are lots of reasons you may not end […]
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Optimizing Focus: Choose the task to suit the context
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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Mid-career blahs
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Mid-career blahs An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, “I’ve Got Tenure, How Depressing” (Kathryn D. Blanchard, 31 January 2012), highlights the fact that even getting a coveted tenure-track position doesn’t necessarily lead to the “happily ever after” ending. Since my provost gave me the news about my promotion, I […]
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Saying no, FOMO, and being strategic about research
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Saying no, FOMO, and being strategic about research I saw a short thread on Twitter reflecting on taking advice to say no a lot. Before starting my lectureship, my mentors told me very clearly to say no to as many things as possible (except unmissable opportunities). It has been […]
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Setting boundaries
One of the elements of a good plan is boundaries. Boundaries enable you to juggle your various different responsibilities without having too many balls in the air at once. According to the OED the term boundary has the sense of both the thing which serves to mark the limits of something and the limit itself. Because […]
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Juggling 101: Elements of a good plan
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Juggling 101: Elements of a Good Plan A good plan can reduce the stress and overwhelm you experience when trying to juggle all your different responsibilities. This is why I have developed planning classes for members of the Academic Writing Studio [Recently opened up to everyone else too!]. In […]
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Using all 3 types of writing time
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Using all 3 types of writing time Writing is a core activity for academics. Writing, as far as I’m concerned, encompasses anything that moves your projects forward. I advocate establishing a writing practice, while making writing a priority when you plan the rest of your schedule. Finding and protecting […]
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Pressure vs Ease
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Pressure vs Ease Deadline Day? I have noticed in social media posts and in conversations with clients that a lot of people use deadlines as a way to motivate themselves. Or at least the story they tell themselves, is that they need a deadline to ensure that they will […]
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