Scholarly Self-Flagellation

I'm not sure what was in the air on college campuses last week, but it seemed that no matter who I talked to (myself, my clients, or my colleagues) everyone was beating themselves up over all the work they have not completed this semester, how far behind they are in their writing, and how angry, frustrated, disappointed, and/or anxious they feel as a result.

Let's Stop Beating Ourselves Up

That's it! I'm calling for a moratorium on scholarly self-flagellation! Put those emotional whips down and let's collectively re-direct our energy in a supportive, patient, and productive manner. If you are experiencing frustration about your productivity this semester consider the following: Take 15 Minutes to Acknowledge All The Work That You HAVE COMPLETED This Semester I know that I frighten some of you with my goal-setting, time-tracking, and list-making, but one of the best parts about writing your semester goals is reflecting back on them. I keep my semester goals posted in one place so that whenever I start feeling like I'm working too slowly, I'm so far behind, or nothing is getting done, I can look back at all the completed items and quickly realize that -- in fact -- a LOT of work has been accomplished. Maybe you're not a list maker (and that's perfectly fine), but do whatever you need to do to recognize the tasks you have completed this semester, appreciate your mental labor, and thank the universe for having the health, energy, and privilege to do this work. I especially want to encourage all the caregivers reading this to give yourself a daily dose of appreciation because you're getting the work done and taking care of others. Review Your Semester Goals & Consider Revising Them Some of the most common errors that new faculty make are: 1) over-estimating the amount of work that is feasible in a semester, 2) setting impossible or overly optimistic goals, and then 3) feeling like a failure when you don't/can't meet them. So, without judgment, criticism, or any scholarly self-flagellation, review your semester goals. Ask yourself gently: Are my goals realistic? and Do I have a weekly plan to meet these goals? If the answer to either question is "no," then simply revise your semester goals, figure out what CAN be done over the next seven weeks, and re-work the weekly writing plan to reflect your new found pragmatism. Determine WHY You Feel Unsatisfied With Your Progress If you feel disappointed, angry or frustrated with your progress, stop and ask yourself "What's Holding Me Back?" Are you suffering from a technical error, external reality, or psychological obstacle? While I have suggested a few tips in previous Monday Motivators, my experience working with individual faculty is that change occurs when we realize that what we've been doing so far is NOT WORKING and we are so sick of it, that we're willing to try something new. Understanding what isn't working can be totally different for different people. Some of you are unhappy with the pace of your writing and publication, others are experiencing a lack of balance between teaching and research, some are dealing with the painful realization that you don't want to be researchers after all, and still others are so caught up in the drama of your dysfunctional departments that you have no energy left for your own work. Whatever your frustration may be at this moment in time, just name it. Resolve To Take ONE STEP Towards Change This Week Naming the frustration is critical, because it will point you in the direction of making concrete change in your work life. It may mean arranging for additional childcare assistance, (re)committing to daily writing, finding a therapist, emotionally unplugging from departmental drama, joining the monthly writing challenge, or scheduling a massage. Beating yourself up is equivalent to turning your anger and frustration inward and it won't do anything other than make you more miserable and debilitated. Identifying the frustration, naming it, and taking one small step in the direction of change will start you on the path to shaping your work life so that you are not only surviving but thriving in your academic career.

The Weekly Challenge

This week, I want to challenge you to do the following: Stop beating yourself up! Assess how you feel about your progress this semester. Acknowledge the huge amount of work you have done (feel free to brag on the discussion forum because it motivates and inspires all of us!) Review your semester goals and get real about the second half of the semester. If you haven't determined your semester goals, it's not too late. If you're unhappy about your progress, ask yourself: What's Holding Me Back? Turn those feelings outward and take a pro-active step forward. Re-commit yourself to 30-60 minutes each day for your writing. Consider joining the October Writing Challenge to facilitate this new habit) I have spent a lot of my time the past two months traveling and dealing with departmental drama, so last week I was beating myself up about all of my work that has NOT gotten done! Putting together this Monday Motivator and reviewing my semester goals helped me to recognize that I have accomplished a LOT of work this semester. It helped me to appreciate my labor and look at the second half of the semester realistically. I also realized that the deeper issue underlying my frustration is that it's time for me to make a professional change and that feels simultaneously exciting and scary. I plan to honor that realization by setting aside time this week to think seriously about my future. I'm glad to be home for a few weeks and I look forward to continuing these discussions in the "Life After Tenure" area of the discussion forum. I hope this week brings each of you the inner strength to stop beating yourself up, the self-awareness to look under the hood and see what that self-flagellation is all about, and an inspired vision towards change. Peace & Productivity, Kerry Ann Rockquemore Associate Professor African American Studies and Sociology University of Illinois at Chicago KerryAnn@NewFacultySuccess.com