{"id":47088,"date":"2019-03-04T16:17:23","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T00:17:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=47088"},"modified":"2019-03-04T16:17:23","modified_gmt":"2019-03-05T00:17:23","slug":"leveling-up-in-saying-no","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/leveling-up-in-saying-no\/","title":{"rendered":"Leveling up in saying \u2018no\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one thing that seems to dog many academics\u2019 lives, it\u2019s the inability to say \u2018no\u2019.<\/p>\n

We often find ourselves over-committed and frazzled with deadlines\u2026and it can be a frenzy of our own making. I\u2019m not talking here about being given inappropriate workloads or sky-high benchmarks to be met. These are larger structural and equity issues that need broader institutional change.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m talking about the culture of overload that is normalised, and the ways that we sometimes pile on the commitments despite knowing that we\u2019ll regret it. We do have some control over what we take on \u2013 it can be a matter of doing some cold, hard stock taking about priorities<\/p>\n

Once upon a time, I was a menace to my future self for taking on too much and assuming things would work out OK. They often did work out OK, but only because I had to put in extreme hours, pull overnighters, or lose several weekends in a row to get things done when there was a deadline log-jam. Now, with a household that includes two kids, an elderly parent, and my partner, as well as various furry and feathery critters, I can\u2019t (and don\u2019t want to) carry out this kind of work blitz any more.<\/p>\n

To aim for balance and a good life (not just surviving), I use a few methods that I\u2019ve been trying haphazardly over the years. They\u2019ve now crystallised into a good set of strategies for me to manage work and enjoy life \u2013 and manage life and enjoy work (seriously \u2013 it\u2019s true).<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how I\u2019m managing my year so far:<\/p>\n

Proper time-blocking in my calendar for all my commitments \u2013 not just work.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I saw\u00a0Raul Pacheco-Vega\u2019s post about his scheduling technique<\/a>\u00a0years ago and have always remembered it. I\u2019m not as hardcore as Raul in terms of a super-tight schedule, but I now make time in my weekly schedule for the important research things that I all-too-easily let slide when other things become more demanding (e.g. reading time!). I also block out weekends and after hours as time unavailable for work. I need to make things fit into what hours are left.<\/p>\n

Joined the\u00a0Monthly Weeklies goal-setting group<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The group I\u2019m in is run by Jonathan Williams and Tom Cho. I joined in January this year and have just started the March cycle with them. I\u2019m getting much better with setting good, stretchy goals and it\u2019s fantastic for tracking what I get done. Keeping my eye on the longer-term goals is half the battle sometimes when so much about life can get in the way. It\u2019s also very good at training me to be realistic about what I want to get done so I don\u2019t land myself in impossible\/super-hectic situations. I see now how often I\u2019ve set myself up to fail (in terms of self-set deadlines).<\/p>\n

When thinking about a request or invitation, I\u2019ve started putting it through a personal filtering system.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When I get a request or invitation, I ask myself this series of questions and take the subsequent actions \u2013 only if it makes it through as a \u2018yes\u2019 to all the questions do I take it on:<\/p>\n

Q1. Do I want to do it?
\n<\/strong>No (decline politely)
\nYes (move on to Q2)<\/p>\n

Q2. Does it fit with my priorities for this year?\u00a0<\/strong>(e.g. my priorities this year are to focus on my writing and publishing pipeline, with a lesser priority being gaining different academic experiences)
\nNo (decline politely)
\nYes (move on to Q3)<\/p>\n

Q3. Can I fit it into my schedule without overloading commitments?
\n<\/strong>No (decline politely)
\nYes (move on to Q4)<\/p>\n

Q4. Does it add something to the experiences\/expertise I\u2019ve already got?
\n<\/strong>No (decline politely)
\nYes (SAY YES)<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to putting this system in place, I\u2019ve been doing a lot of managing of expectations. For example, this year, I\u2019ve had a note at the top of my \u2018Talks and Workshops\u2019 page since January: \u201cThanks for visiting this page! I\u2019m fully booked for 2019.\u201d Just having it there has made it easier for me to draw the line for invitations. I really wanted to cut down on travel and external workshopping this year because of my focus on writing and publishing. Those kinds of opportunities are wonderful and I have loved doing them, but they take up time both in the doing and the prep and return to a back-log. Too many of these would mean that I\u2019m derailing my aims for the year, or voluntarily putting myself into a frenzied work-zone (and eating into my after hours and weekend time, which I want to keep dedicated to family and recharging [a.k.a. staring at a wall and not commuting]).<\/p>\n

There are a few things I know I\u2019m committed to this year (as I said \u2018yes\u2019 to them last year) and they are the only things I\u2019ll be doing. There are many things I\u2019ve declined already because they failed to make it past all questions.<\/p>\n

I say all this not to encourage withdrawal from academic life and service. I have said before that\u00a0doing what you can is extremely important<\/a>\u00a0and the generosity of spirit and sharing of the scholarly load makes our lives better.\u00a0I hold quite a few positions<\/a>, and regularly review for journals and publishers. These things shouldn\u2019t run you into the ground \u2013 they should be positive and engaging opportunities.<\/p>\n

I know it\u2019s only March (OMG it\u2019s March!), and this may still be the shiny nature of 2019, but it has given me a sense of momentum and purpose that I have had trouble cultivating in the past. I did heaps but not in particularly focused ways.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll have different contexts and priorities, of course, and this combination may not work for you. Don\u2019t worry, though, as this is an issue that has perplexed and challenged many! Here are a few other nifty posts about prioritisation and saying \u2018no\u2019 in academia that may help you find a set of strategies that will work:<\/p>\n