First Post

Dear Future Real Academics, 

This is the....drumroll, please...first post for Real Academics. 

It is exciting to think about what will be. 

Until then, 

Maggie and Tiberio

www.therealacademics.com

Popular posts from this blog

The Power of Logging

Image
Dear Real Academics, There's a pattern among productivity strategists: If you want results, track your progress. Whether I'm watching a video or reading about financial planning, nutritional well-being, exercise programs, writing productivity, or self management in general, all programs that WORK have some element of what I default to calling "logging". I default to this term because of my experience with logging with writing (more on that below). Logging is tracking your progress.  I know, I know...it sounds dull and mundane and boring and hard to remember to do. It may even sound rigid, but here's the news: It is powerful. Why? This is a good question. For this post, I will not get into any facts or figures or empirical data to prove to you that tracking your progress is powerful when it comes to making progress.  But, reflect on your own experience. When have you made real progress on any goal you had that required change/effort/difficulty? What did it look lik...
Read more

Conflict and Writing

Image
Dear Real Academics, I've been thinking a lot about conflict lately. I've been thinking about it because I don't like it.   As much as I prefer harmony and unity, however, I need to be very careful about what this harmony and unity looks like. If what seem like harmony and unity comes at the expense of sacrificing freedom, then it is deceptive. Let me give you an example.  In academic discourse, which includes writing and speaking, something always "smells fishy" to me when I can anticipate what someone is about to say so that it aligns with popular lingo and assumed ways of thinking. I call this group think. Furthermore, when those who question or pose a different point of view are silenced or censored and/or held in contempt, then critical thinking is being suppressed in the name of a deceptive idea of unity. I don't know about you, but when I was learning to write persuasively, the idea was to have a well formed argument supported by carefully researched i...
Read more

Reviving a Sense of Wonder

Image
Dear Real Academics, Tiberio and I have a 2-year old "puppy" named Rocky. In this week's picture, Rocky is experiencing his first-time-ever small-town Christmas parade. Rocky had never seen a horse or a goat or a marching band or floats decked out with lights. So, when I saw him sitting so attentively and curiously looking at the parade, I had a sudden sense of awe myself thinking of what it must be like to experience something for the very first time.  As a writer, there is a part of me that needs and longs for awe and wonder. I find that I can revive that sense when I slow down, and I'd like to share some thoughts as to why this may be. In doing so, my goal is to help you (and me) with inspiration for writing and work. Slowing down can inspire my sense of awe and wonder by: (1) Allowing me time to be grateful. When I slow down, I can more easily appreciate what is in front of me instead of thinking about what I need to do next or ruminating on the past (which, unfor...
Read more