Few things move the needle more in academia than publication. So why is it that we can’t find the time to do it? We are pulled in every direction not just at work but at home. We are always putting out fires, and fire-fighting takes a heck of a lot of time (and energy). As hard-and-fast deadlines continue approaching, our most important work (publication) often gets bumped down the list in favor of our most urgent work (teaching, committee-ing, diaper-changing, in my case).
Making time to write for academic publication has to be intentional.
Too often we mentally push writing into days where we think we’ll have a chunk of time to really sit down and get into it. (Coincidentally, those are the same days when your kid gets a stomach virus.) This is like thinking that you can build your house in one day. But houses are built brick by brick.
One way to stop that voice from interrupting whatever you’re doing with a little twang of guilt is to create a system where instead of relying on binge writing, you write brick by brick. That is, you rely on small chunks of time consistently instead of fictitious stretches of uninterrupted time. Because, let’s face it, huge stretches of writing time are a luxury that few of us have. And even if we did have them, writing can be so overwhelming that we probably wouldn’t use the time effectively.
I’ve created a three video series called I Should Be Writing! to show you how to implement a consistent, structured system that is unique to you. If making time to write is something you wish you could do, this is for you.
If you’d like to try it out, just click on this button and I’ll send you the series by email right away:
xoxo,
Cathy
