Strategies for making writing a priority

Part II on writing when you have multiple demands on your time

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

In Part I of writing when you have multiple demands on your time, we discussed why it is critical to first establish your priorities and then plan how you will allocate your limited time.

If you have not read that post, you can find it here:

Today’s post provides a step-by-step approach to help you apply these principles to your academic career. I also include a worksheet you can copy and use yourself!

Some structural considerations first

One of the most common issues I see among academics is that our institutions frequently push us into a culture of overwork without fair compensation for our extra efforts, and as high-achieving individuals, we struggle to lower our standards and turn down every opportunity for aspirational work. I wrote about this phenomenon here:

Critiquing the culture of unpaid and underpaid work in academia

This state of affairs is not our fault, of course, but I do think that there are ways to navigate these systems with a focus on what we want in our careers rather than just what the system demands.

I think it’s important to prioritize our time based on what is most important to us and what makes us happy in our academic careers, rather than just what is expected of us. It entails accepting that some circumstances are beyond our control because the system does not always have our best interests at heart. The focus can be on what we can achieve within this framework, rather than what we cannot.

Balancing the myriad demands of an academic career while maintaining a fulfilling personal life can seem like an insurmountable challenge. A couple years ago, I wrote a related post about using inspiration from Marie Kondo to clean up your workload.

How to Marie Kondo Your Academic Career

Her method, known for its effectiveness in decluttering physical spaces, can also be applied to streamline and bring joy to our professional lives.

Based on the understanding that our institutions will not love us back, here’s a step-by-step approach to determining your priorities that is based on your values and interests.