One of the worst feelings in life is that deep tired, almost an ache in your chest that sets in after pulling an all-nighter and watching the sun come up. The last few weeks of the semester used to be such a grind for me, […]
Category: Productivity
Early Career Advice that I’m Thankful I Followed
I found out that I was going to be a dad in February of 2016. In March, I attended the Building Future Faculty Workshop. In April, I lost my job after my postdoc funding evaporated. Needless to say, this was a chaotic time in my […]
When Things Go Wrong
To be honest, I feel like there’s been an uptick in the number of negative experiences going on around me lately. I’m not talking about the things that make it into the national or international news. Not politics. In the last week, right here around […]
Finding Your Energy
My typical day begins at 4:30am. I wake up, spend 2 hours working on The Intentional Academy*, then spend a bit of time on self-care before leaving for work at 7:00. By 7:30, I’ve walked a mile and a half, taken a train ride, and […]
When you can’t find the time
It never takes long. A new semester starts (or year, or whatever increments of time your life refreshes on) with excitement about the new projects ahead. Your load seems light as you begin exploring your new roles with enthusiasm and curiosity. Unfortunately the honeymoon doesn’t […]
The Intentional Learner’s Manifesto
You’ve heard me talking about it for a while. Hints. Whispers. Random podcast episodes… What Is The Intentional Academy? A passion project, that is in it’s infancy. What do we stand for? What are we trying to accomplish? That we can answer with this,
Digging The Well
There’s an old saying: The more I look around, the more I realize that very few people reach success in a big, shining moment of good fortune. They don’t win the lottery. They don’t have a flash of genius. They don’t get discovered. There’s no […]
Sanctified Busyness
Often, we make our lives busy as a way of hiding from ourselves. When our plate is empty, we have time to think. That can be liberating, or it can be terrifying.
Getting it done? or Getting Better
What do you do? Are you a professional? A student? An educator? A kid? A parent? No matter the answer, I’ll bet you’re busy. B-U-S-Y We have a tendency to impress. We take on opportunities that let us show our chops. But eventually we reach […]
Who’s in Charge Here? Budgeting Your Time
Students face a number of unique circumstances that create stress in their lives. Typically, effort in any one class comes in peaks and waves. Overlay 5 classes, and you find yourself with a fire to put out every week. It doesn’t take long before you’re […]







