Creating a Satisfying Academic Career with Jo Van Every

Sometimes you feel like you haven't accomplished much because the work you've done is something you wish you didn't have to do at all, or something you wish didn't take as long as it does. In this track I talk about 2 specific situations in which this might happen and remind you that this work is definitely necessary, even for experienced writers. Read the post here: https://jo...

The writing process is often frustrating. In this track I talk about those occasions when you find yourself thinking that you should have outgrown whatever is frustrating you by now. I invite you to wonder what might happen if you accepted it as part of the process. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/experienced-writers-vs-novice-writers/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly...

Using an experience from my own early career, I discuss the ways in which impostor syndrome can be triggered when we are talking to someone who is knowledgeable about something we know very little about. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/things-you-dont-know/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: aca...

Some thoughts on Brené Brown's _Daring Greatly_ and Carol Dweck's _Mindset_ in relation to feelings many academics feel around publishing and peer review. Some discussion of the use of shame in institutional cultures. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/shame-vulnerability-academic-work/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr...

There are rational reasons to be fearful and defensive. Despite that, I argue against defensiveness when making decisions about your work. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/letting-fear-drive-decisions/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: academicwritingstudio.co.uk Support me on KoFi here: https:/...

A book is a big project. Depending where you mark the beginning, book writing can take years. Not only is it hard to protect the time, given all your other commitments, but it can be hard to sustain momentum. In this track, I argue that the project needs to be meaningful to sustain that motivation. I also outline a few big reasons you might we writing the book so you can figure out what combinatio...

An audio track to support a short 30 minute writing session. This track contains a brief opening to help you transition from whatever you were doing before into writing, 30 minutes of silence in which to write, and a short closing to help you transition out of writing and into whatever you need to do next. For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr...

We talk a lot about how rejection is just part of academic life. There’s lots of advice about how to deal with rejection. I want to talk about success. And the ways in which doubting your success can get in the way of taking full advantage of it. You deserve this. You belong. You are allowed to enjoy your success and use it to do the work that most attracted you to academia in the first place. Lin...

First sent as a newsletter to members of the Academic Writing Studio, this track addresses the situation in which you are so tired that you can tell it's affecting your work, but you can't take time off work to rest (yet).Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/resting-when-you-cant-stop-working-completely/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co....

In this track I challenge the idea that coworking is about "accountability" or that you even need accountability. Writing is something you want to do. Support is something many of us need or want. I explain how coworking groups, like A Meeting With Your Writing, support you to do this work (writing) that you want to do. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/beyond-accountability-c...

This month’s article is by a guest author, Jamie Pei. Jamie has her own coaching business, The Messy Coach, offering workshops for institutions, individual coaching, and an intensive group coaching programme called The Messy PhD Group Coaching Hive. She is also one of the hosts for A Meeting With Your Writing, and starting this summer will be offering quarter PhD clinics for Studio members. These...

You may dread applying for research funding. In this track I talk about how to use your big research dreams to identify feasible projects and get the support you need to do the research that would be most important and meaningful for you. Further resources about funding:I recommend the book Getting Research Funded (published by Routledge https://www.routledge.com/Getting-Research-Funded-Five-Essen...

One of the strategies I encourage people to use when planning is time-blocking. It is what I am thinking of when I talk about boundaries as one of the principle elements of a good plan. Over the years I’ve realized that there are different ways to understand what this is. In this track I say a bit about what I think is useful about it. I also address some common misconceptions about what’s require...

I’ve been writing blog posts and newsletters since 2009 so it’s not surprising that the topic of how to keep going when everything around you is terrible has come up a few times. This Spotlight brings those posts together. I hope you find something that helps you navigate the situation you face. The posts referred to in this track are collected in the accompanying playlist except for Abducted by A...

While your work is important, it isn’t the only way you contribute to the world. In the face of all the awful, your inclination may be to get more active in political or community activities not connected to your work. You still need to plan for that. The time won't magically appear. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/juggling-dystopian-times/For more content like this, sign up to t...

When a crisis like the Covid pandemic hits, you can question your research priorities. This track is a companion to "No you don't need to completely change your research focus" and discusses taking advantage of opportunities to focus on specific areas of your overall research programme that may be relevant to whatever crisis you are facing. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co....

Sometimes the things happening in the world can make you feel like your scholarly work is irrelevant. (It's not, as I've explained in more detail in “Being an academic in dystopian times: Valuing your academic work”.) The impulse to change your research focus to something relevant is understandable. In this track I explain why it's probably unnecessary. See "Shifting priorities...

When terrible things are happening in the world, it can make it even harder to value the academic work you do. Your work is important. When things are bad, it may be even more important to keep doing it. Read the post here: ttps://jovanevery.co.uk/juggling-dystopian-times-part-2/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterFollow me on Twitter: twitter....

If you are so overwhelmed you freeze, this is what you need. Some gentle guidance to take action. The text version of this track has a free download to use as a lock screen on your phone if that would be helpful: JoVanEvery.co.uk/emergency-planning-techniqueRead the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/emergency-planning-technique/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovan...

How do you plan when their *might* be a strike, or a flood, or illness? This kind of thing is often referred to as a "known unknown". You know it might happen but you don't know if or when. You can assess the likelihood and plan how you'll respond. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/planning-for-known-unknowns/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newslet...

An older post in which I use a video game analogy to illustrate what optimism might look like when things are dystopian or uncertain. Key point: "death" in a video game is more like "well, that didn't work out" in real life. Sometimes stuff doesn't work out, but it still might be worth trying. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/life-is-like-a-video-game/For...

While it’s normal to imagine how any given decision might play out over your whole life or career, you only have to plan for a much shorter time horizon. This is my standard advice for anyone thinking about career decisions. TL:DR You don't have to decide what to do with your life. You just have to decide what to do next. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/you-dont-have-to-decide-wh...

In which I explain that optimism does not require ignoring the terrible things that are happening, nor a belief that a particular outcome is possible, despite the context. I encourage optimism. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/optimism-uncertainty/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterFollow me on Twitter: twitter.com/JoVanEveryFind m...

There are lots of apps out there that “gamify” habits. And one of the big pieces of gamification is recording streaks. This can seem like it fits well with advice to “write every day” but there are major downsides to “streaks”. In this track I outline some ways to make tracking streaks helpful, and evaluate their usefulness before they become demotivating. If you'd like to establish a daily w...

Original title: Reframing "comps" to help you write (and finish) your bookMost academics get in a bit of a knot about the "marketing questionnaire" part of a book proposal. In this track, I suggest a way to reframe the work required. I also outline why doing so will help you make some of the tough decisions required to write and finish your book. (Your publisher can worry about...