Academia: Striving for Equilibrium Panayiota Kendeou, PhD

Equilibrium Equilibrium is the boundary that you create between your profession and every other segment that makes up your life (family, personal growth, spirituality, fitness and health, community, and friendships). You enable yourself to truly be present. It enables you to use your time more efficiently and effectively. Meaningful daily Achievement and Enjoyment in each of your work and personal life.

Equilibrium Equilibrium is a state of balance It does not mean an equal distribution of time over all areas of life (family, personal growth, spirituality, fitness and health, community, and friendships). It varies over time (e.g., new faculty vs. senior faculty), and often on a daily basis. There is no perfect, one-size fits all, equilibrium you should be striving for.

Keys to Success Self-Assessment of priorities – What type of an academic do you want to be? – What do you want to be known for? – Write down your professional vision statement Set up specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic and time-sensitive goals Manage your work and life time

Goals Set up Long-Term Goals – Go up for tenure in 2016 Publish 14 papers by 2016 Submit 2 major grants by 2016 Break down your long-term goals to Yearly Goals – Submit 4 papers in 2011 (and at least 4 every year after that) – Submit 1 major grant in 2011 (and at least one more by 2016)

Goals Break down your Yearly Goals to Monthly Goals – Submit one paper this month (and one every 2 months thereafter) Break down your Monthly Goals to Weekly Goals – Complete the Methods section of Paper 1 this week Set-up Daily Goals – Work on the results of Paper 1 today Constantly evaluate, update, and revise goals

Time Management Perform a Time Analysis – How much time do you spend Reading? Writing? Teaching? in Committees? Training students?

Writing Time Schedule your writing time – Specific days/week – Pick your most productive time Protect your writing time – You have an appointment with writing; you cannot double book; you cannot cancel without rescheduling; you should not be interrupted – Learn to say NO Set-up specific goals for your writing time Evaluate your progress and revise goals

Writing Time Share your writings with colleagues you trust and can depend on for critical review Co-author with more experienced writers Set-up priorities for your writing, priorities that align with your goals

Reading Time “Schedule” your reading time – Specific days/week e.g., a seminar, a reading group, a lab group Set-up specific goals for your reading time – Read 5 papers every week Discuss readings with students, colleagues, collaborators

Thinking Time “Schedule” your thinking time – Often combined with reading and writing – During commute Set-up specific goals for your thinking time – Design a new study – Study a measure/scale Discuss ideas with students, colleagues, collaborators

Striving for Equilibrium Schedule and protect your personal time, not only your work time. Turn every occasion in your life into a positive - even negative experiences are seen as "What can I learn from this?" Do not take on too much. Pursue your goals persistently.

Thank you! Panayiota Kendeou, PhD Neapolis University Pafos, Cyprus