Are you ready for the Fall Semester? 5 Tips to Start "Write"
Dear Real Academics
Are you ready for the Fall semester?
If yes, great!
If not, I get it.
Regardless, here are some tips to make sure you are off to the “write” start — and yes, “write” is intentional…
(1) MINDSET - Prioritize your writing.
As important as all the meetings, classes you need to prep, and emails you need to answer are, NOTHING is as important as your writing.
Writing is what helps you graduate, get promoted, and…most importantly…get your academic research/thinking out into the world.
So, get in the mindset — first and foremost — that writing is a priority in your academic work.
(2) TOOLS - Use a calendar to map out your first month
Whether you use an electronic calendar or a paper based calendar or planner,
write out your events for the first month (or, if you can, for the entire semester).
My suggestion of how to do this?
Write in all the non-negotiable meetings times your administration sets.
Write in all your class time and office hours.
Write in your scheduled writing time.
I would ideally like to tell you to block off your writing time first.
But, the reality is you cannot budge from required meetings or teaching classes.
If, however, you are not teaching or needing to go to meetings, then by all means block off your writing time first before anything else!
(3) SYSTEMS - Set up automated systems.
Automated messages are one of the ways in which I keep things “flowing” in terms of my writing focus.
Whether it’s email automations or announcement automations in a teaching platform like Canvas,
I like to intentionally batch some focused time to plan, write, and schedule critical communications that I know I need to convey to others for the beginning of the semester (and even the entire semester if I’m up to it!).
Maybe it’s just me, but this exercise frees me to start the semester with more focus.
I know this may seem tedious at first, but try it — try setting things like this up for at least the first month of the semester. Your students students, colleagues, and writing will thank you later.
(4) REWARDS - Be kind to yourself and your writing.
Log your writing
AND
celebrate your writing
Set your goals. Even if it’s just 30 min. a day or 30 min. a week.
If you don’t know what I mean by logging, check out:
(5) Find and Maintain a Writing Community
If you want to succeed in your writing, this is an absolute MUST.
If you have a writing community, that is fantastic!
If you don’t, you can:
(a) start one
(b) find and join an existing one.
The key is to form or find a community that is consistent, focused, and supportive.
As always, we are here for you in that regard at www.therealacademics.com.
Until next time, happy writing, productivity, and truth-seeking,
Maggie
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