Urgency vs. importance
What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important. - Dwight D. Eisenhower
It is hard to manage priorities for several reasons including: 1) it’s not always obvious what should and shouldn’t be prioritized, 2) distractions are abundant (e.g., my apartment is never cleaner than when I have a deadline), and 3) it’s easy to do what is easy and it’s hard to do what is hard. So what can we do?
Consider using the “Eisenhower Box” to be more productive! James Clear, author of Atomic Habits shares more about the Eisenhower Box here. I’m going to give you the gist.
Here’s one way to think about important vs. urgent tasks: Important tasks help us achieve our goals and may or may not have a deadline whereas urgent tasks require immediate attention but may not ultimately help us achieve our goals. So, keep your goals top-of-mind!
This framing yields a 2 by 2 matrix (so, let’s call it the Eisenhower Matrix):
The great thing about this matrix is that it can be used for broad productivity plans (“How should I spend my time each week?”) and for smaller, daily plans (“What should I do today?”). - James Clear
So, here is what my matrix would look like given all the tasks I could do today (I’m writing this on Thursday, 7/8):
Let me walk you through my own matrix:
I have a fair number of meetings today, which is worth noting. These meetings include regular weekly meetings along with ad hoc meetings with collaborators and students. Moving forward, I need to be better about protecting time throughout the week to move more pressing tasks forward (i.e., tasks that would benefit from large chunks of dedicated time). We can talk more about time-blocking at some point if you’d like.
Important + Urgent = DO: 1) I must work on a new manuscript for at least one hour. This manuscript is related to postdoc research and it’s very important that I get this work under review sooner rather than later (I’m on the job market this year!). 2) I must provide feedback to my thesis student who, in turn, must submit a draft of her thesis to her preceptor tomorrow.
Important + Not Urgent = DECIDE: 1) I need to determine which job applications I’m going to work on this weekend and whether I need to notify my letter writers to submit letters. 2) I need to set a reminder to back-up and transfer data (I have a new computer!). 3) I need to determine how I’m going to get to the immersive Van Gogh exhibit tonight in Chicago, which will require some planning.
Not Important + Urgent = DELEGATE: 1) Study materials are required to launch a new study. To make this happen, I need to check in with my student collaborator and let her know what needs to be done and when.
Not Important + Not Urgent = DELETE: 1) It’s easy to spend hours on social media each day (at least for me). So, I need to hold myself accountable and limit my time spent on platforms like Twitter (my primary social media platform). I’m going to explore plug-ins like StayFocused which limit the amount of time spent on whatever sites I specify (h/t Dr. Jasmine DeJesus for recommending StayFocused).
Like my section on stipends last week, I could have included something about email above, but email is a special sort of distraction (but also necessity). It’s very easy to become consumed by email and it’s normal to feel compelled to respond to everything as soon as possible. Of course, there will be messages that require an immediate response (and usually you’ll know when those types of messages are coming). However, typically your immediate response is not required. Keep this in mind.
I know several students and faculty who block out time each day to respond to email. So, rather than manage messages as they come in, they allocate an hour or two at some point during the day to respond. As a part of this process, they often triage their messages and determine which require a response now versus which require a response later (use folders and color coding to your advantage!).
To be transparent, I totally fell into this trap as a graduate student. It took quite a bit of practice to set good email boundaries (and a thorough reading of Do you want to be known for your writing, or for your swift email responses? by Melissa Febos). On this point, the best (email) decision I ever made was to turn off notifications on my phone. My email anxiety disappeared almost instantly!
Some homework: This week’s homework is simple—fill out your own Eisenhower Matrix for some big, important goal (e.g., applying to graduate school, starting your first year of graduate school, managing comprehensive exams).
SCHOLAR PROFILE #2: DR. ARIS CLEMONS
The purpose of these profiles is to highlight and connect you to scholars at different career stages doing interesting and important research and service work.
This week, we get to learn about Dr. Aris Clemons, who is an Assistant Professor of Spanish Linguistics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Now, let’s learn about Dr. Clemons’s academic journey.
What are your research interests?
Situated at the nexus of Linguistics, African Diaspora Studies, and Latinx Studies, my research seeks to understand how socially constructed categories, such as race and ethnicity, are concretized in public consciousness. Using linguistic data and methodologies, I explore the impact of racial and linguistic ideologies and attitudes on the construction of “self” at the individual and community level. As such, my research interrogates processes of racialization through language practices and perceptions. Drawing on a variety of qualitative and ethnographic data from members of the emergent pan-ethnic grouping of Afro-Latinxs, I problematize racial and linguistic essentializations that result in the marginalization and further erasure of Blackness and the (re)constitution of colonially formed social hierarchies.
Where did you earn your PhD and with whom did you work?
I earned my PhD in Hispanic Linguistics at the University of Texas at Austin under the advisement of Dr. Almeida Jacqueline Toribio.
Why did you choose your PhD institution and advisor(s)?
A previous mentor at Syracuse introduced me to Dr. Almeida Jacqueline Toribio. We then remained in contact over the course of two years before I decided to leave my job and work with her [Dr. Almeida Jacqueline Toribio] directly. I chose UT Austin to work with her. She also told me I should apply to other schools but I knew that I wanted a strong mentor relationship. I consider her [Dr. Almeida Jacqueline Toribio] one of my biggest advocates and friends now.
Please share more about your academic journey.
My journey was anything but direct. I went to high school at an independent school in the Bay Area in California and it was not the best experience. Let's just say, I got voted least spirited and most likely to own a chicken restaurant. In any case, the school prepared me for high-level academic work but didn't give me much preparation in how I could make/achieve any goals. I knew that I was always interested in languages so that led me to choose communications as a major. It wasn't until my junior year, after moving to Spain, that I realized that I wasn't that interested in the business of communication, but rather the acquisition of languages and the science of communication.
I hadn't heard about linguistics as a potential academic field until I had already graduated from undergrad. At that point, I was working as a Spanish and English teacher in a bilingual school and I was looking for resources to make the learning experience more manageable for my students. I discovered second language acquisition and from there I decided that it was something I would love to pursue further.
I earned my MA in linguistics in 2010 from Syracuse University and my EdM in 2012 from another institution. After, I worked as a teacher and school administrator for several years before being challenged enough to desire some concerted space to think through issues of language justice, equity, and linguistic identities in school spaces. My doctoral program at UT Austin provided me with the perfect opportunity for academic training and the exploration of these topics.
I'm excited to begin my new position as an assistant professor because I get to bring together my love for languages and cultures alongside my passion for racial and social justice in educational spaces.
How did you navigate the PhD application process?
I was lucky enough to write my application with my PhD advisor. We also applied for funding together prior to my arrival. We received the funding before I was admitted, which made a very strong case for accepting me with the committee. (This feels like cheating, but I live in my truth).
What is one bit of advice you'd like to give new (first-year) PhD students?
Diversify your mentorship. You should have a partner in your cohort that you can bounce ideas and feelings off. You should have an advanced PhD student to tell you about things to come. You should have a junior faculty mentor and a senior faculty mentor. In short, make friends and listen to their advice with an eye toward your ultimate goal. Check in with yourself. If you are feeling something, make sure you have someone to talk to about it. And lastly, get a therapist. In fact, if you can, argue for good health insurance with your package so that therapy is accessible to you.
Is there anything else about you or your journey that you’d like to share?
I left out earlier that the only reason I earned my EdM from another institution is because I attempted to do a doctoral program with limited mentorship and it turned out to be a very toxic experience. Students were trained to compete instead of collaborate and that didn't sit well with my spirit. As I looked to continue my education, I spoke with several students [at UT Austin] and the support they gave me was indicative of the kind of environment I was entering. I can say now that some of my cohort members (and those in my track) are definitely going to be life-long friends and academic homies for life. At the same time, I made sure to make close-knit connections with people doing similar work to mine at other institutions.
Have that drink at a conference. Send that cold e-mail to someone who said some bomb sh^% on Twitter. Enjoy what you are reading and talk about it! Write and make sure you are relentless with your care for your wellbeing. Speak to your family about the time commitment and make sure your friends who are not in your field understand your deep love but also that you may not be able to communicate or dedicate time in the ways you may have been able to prior to this endeavor. Also, you will be a doctor, so trust in that expertise...every reading, assignment, conversation, presentation is bringing you closer to being the authority on whatever it is you decided to investigate.
Many thanks to Dr. Clemons for sharing more about her academic journey!
RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT
In this section, I highlight resources you may find helpful as you navigate the PhD application process as well as the PhD itself. This week, I focus on resources designed to help students across several disciplines.
If you’d like to see a specific resource appear here, please share the relevant information via this survey. And remember, I maintain a running list of resources here.
Científico Latino: Científico Latino aims to help undergraduate, graduate, and professional students by providing mentorship, open-access resources on scholarships, fellowships and blog posts on professional development.
I participated in this program as a mentor during the last application cycle and was matched with a fantastic student who is starting their PhD this fall at the University of California, Irvine! This program offers guidances to students at all levels, including undergraduates. AND there’s still time to sign up to receive mentorship this fall! Sign up here (note the eligibility requirements).
The Ebony Tower: The Ebony Tower hopes to serve as a source of inspiration and support for academics of color who seek to survive, scale, and thrive within the ivory tower.
This site is fully of resources—all freely available. I especially appreciate the webinars on questions to ask before applying to the PhD and advice on applying to nationally competitive fellowships. Take time to review the site for all it has to offer!
The PhD Project: The PhD Project was founded upon the premise that advancements in workplace diversity could be propelled forward by increasing the diversity of business school faculty. Today, our expansive network of supporters, sponsors and universities helps Black/African Americans, Latinx/Hispanic American and Native Americans attain their business PhD and become the business professors who will mentor the next generation of leaders.
Although the initiative is geared toward current and prospective business PhD students/professors, the content is very relevant for prospective and current social science PhD students. They even host an annual conference for doctoral students (note the eligibility requirements)!
Project SHORT: Committed to shrinking the socioeconomic gap in medical and graduate school, one application at a time.
Unlike the initiatives above, Project SHORT serves students applying to all types of graduate programs (not just prospective PhD students). Again, there are many resources freely available for navigating PhD applications, including sample essays!
Reviewer Zero: We’re reimagining peer review to grow a diverse new generation in psychology and neuroscience (in partnership with the SPARK Society—another awesome initiative geared toward giving scientists of color the tools to become innovators in the cognitive sciences).
This fall, Reviewer Zero will be piloting a pre-review service for students historically excluded from the academy who will be applying to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship program in the area of Psychology. Interested students should complete this form by August 1.
Relevant Twitter Hashtags: #AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter #phdlife #phdchat #hiddencurriculum
When searching for or requesting information via Twitter, consider including some of these hashtags to broaden your reach!
How to reach me: You are always welcome to email me (letstalkgradschool@gmail.com) or find me on Twitter @tweetsbymidge.
1-on-1 and 1-on-few sessions: In two weeks, I will start offering 1-on-1 and 1-on-few sessions for prospective and current PhD students. Sign-ups will be done via Calendly. I will try to offer both weekday and weekend sessions.
Until next time!
Margaret
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