Leanne C. Powner
@leannecpowner
Coach/Developmental Editor for social science academics, including dissertators. Sometimes methods prof; author of _Empirical Research & Writing: A Pol Sci Student's Practical Guide_. Accepting manuscripts for summer & coaching clients year round.
Sunday Planning time! Synch your calendars & check the meal plan. What other summer events might be disrupting your writing plan for the summer? Do you need to adjust?
Self-Care Saturday! Take 30 min this weekend to read something outside your area of expertise. Feed that curiosity about the world that drove you to this career in the first place!
5 Minute Friday! What can Today You do to make Monday You's life easier? No ideas? Check the status of any papers under review Wash your office mug/water bottle Identify one reading you need to scan for fall courses
Hot weather calls for minimal cooking. Make pasta (bowties or rotini work best) once, then make a different pasta salad each night. Bruschetta, Greek, tuna, and more - the sky's the limit! What's your favorite cold pasta salad?
Growth can be uncomfortable - in fact, it almost always is. But it's how we become the better versions of our selves - as scholars, as partners, as people. Discomfort that's destructive rather than constructive should typically be avoided.
The freedom of an academic career is often one of its perks, but it carries a risk of overwork. We can always do more, but very often, we don't need to. Always ask a colleague before committing to anything that is not small and routine. They can help you say no!
Hey faculty, want this year's courses to go better than last year's? Join me for Course Reboot, a 4 session mini-workshop on tips and tricks to reduce your workload while improving students' learning and experience. Low-effort, low-cost ways for EVERYONE to benefit. This may be my single most cost-
Monday Giggle - some French humor in honor of Bastille Day (July 14)!
Self-Care Saturday! Do a quick declutter - find 5 items to donate or trash.
Yes, you can give it your all some days. But averages are average for a reason. 100% is not a sustainable pace. Working at 90% for 10 days will be more productive than working at 100% for 3 days and burning out to 10% for the remaining 7.
Most readers can take 2-3 ideas away from a sentence. If you stuff them full of 6-8 ideas (or more!), the reader doesn't take all of it away. And worst, you don't know or control which ones. So package key claims in short sentences to ensure the reader captures them.
THIS FRIDAY: MS WORD for Dissertations and Books! - FREE! Don't put off learning to format your materials in Word until right before you have to submit! It takes far longer than you think if you don't know what you're doing. Save yourself time during crunch season by learning now! buff.ly/Q90xBCK
Monday Giggle! If I were the angel in this heat, I'd be off the fountain and swimming in it instead!
Timeline cleanse! Lady & Tommy keeping an eye on us from the cool of inside. 🤣
Sunday Planning Time! Synch your calendars & check the meal plan. After the holiday weekend, take stock of what you need to replenish in your pantry as you head toward back to school season. Peanut butter? Packaged snacks? Salad dressing?
Happy Independence Day! I choose to celebrate the spirit of what this country was intended to be.
Self-Care Saturday! Time for a new toothbrush! The American Dental Association recommends changing your toothbrush or electric toothbrush head every 90 days. No time like the start of the quarter to do it!
I've got 101 problems and today, every one of them is a Fahrenheit degree. 🌡🥵🌡🥵🌡🥵🌡🥵
Free Workshop Friday is next week July 10! This month: Microsoft Word for Dissertations and Books. Don't let the formatting at the end catch you unprepared! Invest 90 min now to learn the tools you need & save yourself days of misery. FREE with code FREEWS. Friday 9 AM and 3:30 PM ET (UTC-4)
MANY medications - including most common SSRIs for depression and anxiety - cause the body to process heat poorly. Are you at risk of heat intolerance? (I'm on 5 - possibly more, I haven't looked lately - meds that fit this bill. It's WAY more stuff than you think!)
Academic productivity is unpredictable, not least because productivity takes so many forms: reading, writing, analysis, sometimes even just talking with colleagues. Building a flexible plan with weekly goals instead of daily must-dos helps decrease the stress associated with variable productivity.
Verbs drive sentences. They are literally what is happening in the sentence. The stronger your verbs - not necessarily in tone but in action - the stronger your writing generally is.
Monday Giggle! What other work from home tips might you offer?
Self-Care Saturday! Feeling sluggish? Have a few sips of water. Dehydration affects your skin, gut, and brain. Try for 6 cups (1.5L) of water daily in addition to whatever other fluids you consume. Hydration matters!
I've spent too many years talking to too many academics about their projects. I have NO idea how I make some of the connections that I do. So no, I actually can't recreate that brilliant insight I just blurted out. 🤣
In academic writing, you can presume that your reader has a reasonable amount of background knowledge and training. If your reader probably knows it, you don't need to repeat it. Let your friendly readers (pre-reviewers) tell you if you need to add!
Self-Care Saturday! Make a concrete plan to eat at least one thing from the pantry that’s nearing expiration. Protect your gut, your time, and your budget!
You do not have to EARN bedtime or a stopping time for the day. This type of 'self-discipline' is actually quite damaging on a number of fronts, and indeed, research suggests that a consistent end time (as well as start time) are important predictors of productivity.