Creating a Satisfying Academic Career with Jo Van Every

One of the secrets to saving time while teaching, is streamlining your learning objectives. They may make you groan in neoliberal bureaucracy, but articulating clearly what you expect students to learn as a result of taking your course can really benefit everyone. It makes it easier for students to decide whether your course meets their own learning needs. It helps them understand why you are doin...

Uncertainty is stressful. Things are always uncertain. We have limited control over the future. My approach to supporting academics focuses on identifying the things you can control and being flexible enough to change track if necessary. Read the post here: jovanevery.co.uk/surviving-thriving-uncertain-timesFollow me on Twitter: twitter.com/JoVanEveryFind my Facebook Page here: facebook.com/JoVEAc...

In situations of high levels of uncertainty, you need a plan even more than you might otherwise. Planning is one practice it’s worth building into your regular activities. Read the post here: jovanevery.co.uk/planning-in-uncertain-timesFollow me on Twitter: twitter.com/JoVanEveryFind my Facebook Page here: facebook.com/JoVEAcademicCareerCoach For more advice, support and perspectives like this, si...

Using the analogy of gravity to explore how freedom can both be helped and hindered by scheduling, it's about finding the right balance to sustain a planet of writing goals. Read the post here: jovanevery.co.uk/freedom-schedulingFollow me on Twitter: twitter.com/JoVanEveryFind my Facebook Page here: facebook.com/JoVEAcademicCareerCoachJoin the Academic Writing Studio: academicwritingstudio.co...

Tips and advice on how to take a vacation as an academic. This post deals with planning and prioritising to get the most out of your summer, while touching on the emotional guilt and resistance you may feel while making sure you look after yourself and get the rest you deserve. Read the post here: jovanevery.co.uk/how-to-take-a-vacationFollow me on Twitter: twitter.com/JoVanEveryFind my Facebook P...

Recounting the story of how the Academic Writing Studio came to be, through Meeting With Your Writing weekly virtual writing groups to realising academics could do with a place for all their writing needs. The Studio provides all this and more in a community of likeminded academics, achieving writing goals together - without burnout. Read the full text post here: jovanevery.co.uk/introducing-the-s...

A story from a past member of A Meeting With Your Writing weekly virtual writing groups, sharing insights about how and why the structure helped maintain their writing practice goals and feel more on top of things...Read the post here: jovanevery.co.uk/a-story-from-mwywFollow me on Twitter: twitter.com/JoVanEveryFind my Facebook Page here: facebook.com/JoVEAcademicCareerCoachJoin the Academic Writ...

An exploration of how to find the balance between the right amount of pressure and ease in motivation. I look at an analogy from cattle farming to show how carrot vs stick ideas can help and hinder us. Read the post here: jovanevery.co.uk/pressure-vs-easeFollow me on Twitter: twitter.com/JoVanEveryFind my Facebook Page here: facebook.com/JoVEAcademicCareerCoachJoin the Academic Writing Studio: aca...

On how classes can provide the right kind of structure, through accountability and community to motivate you to continue the course and keep learning. Read the post here: jovanevery.co.uk/a-class-provides-structureFollow me on Twitter: twitter.com/JoVanEveryFind my Facebook Page here: facebook.com/JoVEAcademicCareerCoachJoin the Academic Writing Studio: academicwritingstudio.co.uk For more advice,...

An introduction to this Spotlight, focusing on how and why finding the right kinds of structure in academic careers can help you achieve writing goals and maintain the practice over the long-term. For more advice, support and perspectives like this, sign up to my free monthly newsletter: https://jovanevery.co.uk/newsletter   To find out how short chunks of time can revolutionise your writing, take...

The pandemic has revealed how broken systems for sick leave are. Whether it's burnout or some other kind of illness, there are times when you need time to rest and recover. I make a strong case for taking the sick leave you are entitled to so you can make the best decision for yourself in your specific context. Read the post here: jovanevery.co.uk/take-sick-leaveFollow me on Twitter: twitter....

It’s only in the past year it’s clicked, that by starting your new year on the first day of the new teaching term, you are implicitly prioritizing teaching and making writing the last thing you do in the year. No wonder there is a lot of pressure on summer. You feel like you are behind before you even start. What if you start your academic year 6 to 8 weeks before the students start arriving? Make...

Written in the spring of 2020 as I was helping members of the Academic Writing Studio plan their summer, I discuss what you can do to reduce your anxiety about being prepared to teach in the autumn even if how you will be teaching in the autumn is still unclear. The text version of this post (where you can find links to resources and related posts) can be found at JoVanEvery.co.uk/where-does-teach...

In this track I describe different types of writing time so you can figure out how to combine them effectively to keep your projects moving forward throughout the year. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/using-3-types-writing-time/I expand on these ideas in my book Finding Time For Your Scholarly Writing (A Short Guide) available at the links below. E-book formats: books2read.com/b/Findi...

This track is an introduction to the playlist it is part of. It explains how the other tracks fit together. My goal in writing these posts and putting this playlist together is to help you think about how the intensity of your work might vary over the year, and how you can manage your workload (and your time and energy) to accomplish the things you value most. Spotlight themes are available to vie...

One thing that makes it hard to find and protect time for writing, is the ongoing mental space you are devoting to teaching, even if classes are finished. I started wondering about how you treat teaching in this transition. How do you do that work in a way that allows you to be confident about your decision to prioritize writing, research, and rest over the summer break? When is the optimal time t...

Here's the audio recording for one of my old but always relevant posts. One of the things that makes saying "no" difficult, is the fear of becoming "That Selfish Bastard". I talk about that here. And reassure you. Read the post here: jovanevery.co.uk/introducing-selfish-bastardFollow me on Twitter: twitter.com/JoVanEveryFind my Facebook Page here: facebook.com/JoVEAcademic...

How you organize your to do list can make a big difference to your motivation and your sense of accomplishment. Putting “write article” or “finish book” on your to do list is a really bad idea. Too abstract. Motivation is mostly about taking action, so you need specific action items on your to do list to get you started. Once you get started, action motivates further action. That momentum should c...

A brief introduction to the Short Guides series of books. Read more here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/books/ For more advice, support and perspectives like this, sign up to my free monthly newsletter: https://jovanevery.co.uk/newsletter   To find out how short chunks of time can revolutionise your writing, take the FREE 15 Minute Writing Challenge course: https://jovanevery.co.uk/15-min-writing-chall...

You need more rest than you normally would, and yet the changes the pandemic has brought make it harder to find. In this track I talk about some of the things you can do to create an ebb and flow of energy for yourself and your students. This was first sent to my newsletter subscribers on Friday 22 January 2021. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/managing-your-energy/Follow me on Twitter...

First published on my website in April 2015, this track argues that not only are you not lazy but neither is anyone else. Lazy, and her evil twin Busy, are moral judgements that keep you from getting the rest, food, and exercise you need to do your best work. Recommended in this track:• An interview with Devon Price, author of Laziness Does Not Exist (smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/440-lazine...

Just when you were getting your head around working in a pandemic, the dystopia dial got turned up. You might be wondering whether you should even keep working in this situation. I point to some things I've said about this earlier. I also talk about importance of self care (rest, nourishing food, movement) and give you some ideas about managing your energy over the next few months. The text v...

It's difficult to get enough rest between Semester 1 and Semester 2. It's made harder by the cultural expectation of productivity. In this track I ponder the fear of squandering your break. Rest first. Allow yourself to enjoy any festivities and the preparation. Related tracks:• "Juggling, Jigsaws, and Navigating by the stars" has more on the star metaphor• "What is your p...

Are you treating intellectual engagement as guiding star? What might that mean? After all, you are still going to be doing many of the same things. What difference does it make to how you do them? What criteria does this suggest for making decisions about administrative or service tasks? What criteria does this suggest for seminar invitations, reviews, conferences, and collaborative research oppor...

Following up a Twitter conversation, I outline why I recommend the policy of not sending email outside of normal office hours. The primary purpose of this policy is to contribute to a culture in which you have the flexibility to do your work when it suits you best, without that becoming pressure to work all the time. I held a class in the Academic Writing Studio to address the larger issue of emai...