Self-Compassionate Professor

Second in the "July 2022 vision series," I re-release my interview with Dr. Kemi Doll. Kemi explains that we need to clear our own compasses so that we know how to navigate our academic careers with meaning and purpose. She describes how she keeps her own compass clear with self-care, self-examination, taking time with herself, as well as planning and prioritizing her academic work according to her own true north. Kemi notes that many academics lose themselves to academic culture and institutional expectations, allowing external pressures to cloud their purposeful reasons for wanting to be academics in the first place. In this way, as they settle and allow the things that were once personally meaningful to them to be stripped away, Kemi explains that they experience burnout in slow motion. She also offers rich and focused advice about how academics can find and dust off their internal compasses. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Kemi Doll also coaches women of color faculty in academic medicine and is the creator of the weekly podcast, Your Unapologetic Career. Find her at https://kemidoll.com.

In preparation for the vision workshop on July 13, 2022, I describe how to take yourself on a vision quest by setting aside one day to take your own journey inward. I also include instructions about how to open the journey, how to deepen the journey, and how to close the journey. And in that process, I explain how to regulate your nervous system, dream big, and articulate a vision. Caveats include: remaining psychologically flexible, letting go of self pressure, listening to your body/mind/spirit, offering yourself compassion, and taking many breaks. Good luck! 

For a list of questions to ask in mid-journey, visit the welcome page on my website: https://danielledelamare.com/. 

Happy Solstice! During this seasonal transition, I discuss the importance of going inward to process the past, notice where you are presently, as well as imagine where you might want to go in the future. Over the next few days, spend some time processing regrets, longings, and other emotions (and do so with self-compassion!). In the next episode, I'll show you how to conduct your own vision quest so you may be prepared for the upcoming vision workshop on July 13, 2022.  

As we begin to talk vision in the upcoming vision quest episode as well as the upcoming vision workshop on July 13, I re-release my interview with Dr. Jennifer Scott. Jennifer tells her story about turning down her dream job for her  "dream life." She also discusses how her love for teaching sustained her while she was on the difficult academic job market and describes how her post-ac job presented itself after someone who liked her tweets offered her a job. Jennifer also imparts invaluable wisdom about creating and sustaining a career/life vision including feeling your way  into a vision, living the vision in bite-sized portions even before it's come fully into fruition, and giving the vision structure. Find Dr. Jennifer Scott at https://www.jenniferelizabethconcepts.com.

So often, when we try to create more space for our needs, wants, and values, our efforts feel overly abstract, slippery, and unsustainable. But in this episode, I explain how--through regular self check-ins--creating space for ourselves can actually be very simple, tangible, and actionable. I show how this disciplined daily practice bleeds into weeks, months, and years, ultimately leading to a life that is much more your own. In the episode, I focus on what a self check-in is, its benefits, and how such a practice leads to more space. Download the roadmap to creating more daily space on my website: https://danielledelamare.com/

In this solo episode, I describe my one-year group coaching program for academics who feel lost and uninspired in their work. I discuss the "space-conscious" philosophy of the program as well as the ways I help you create daily, seasonal, and even physical space so you may more easily access your inner wisdom, answer difficult career questions you may be grappling with, and taking focused, values-aligned action toward your big (and often scary) career goals. Registration opens June 13, 2022 and the program begins August 1, 2022. Program objectives include: 

You may access the "creating daily space" roadmap here or find it on my website. 

Since being on the show almost two years ago (in Episode 36), Dr. Eric Stephens offers an update about his entrepreneurial journey. At the time of his first interview on the podcast, due to covid, he had lost his job in higher education and was trying to find stability after great upheaval. Two years later, Eric has founded Educators.Network, providing support to educators who are making career pivots. As Eric builds his team and raises funds from a growing number of investors, he is now living the entrepreneurial reality he had dreamed of previously. Eric stresses the importance of human connection and explains how he continues to make time on his calendar for educators who are experiencing dark moments. Above all else, Eric's message offers hope to those who feel lost. Find Dr. Eric James Stephens on LinkedIn and at https://www.educators.network/. 

Dr. Barbi Honeycutt explains what it takes to be a good teacher, arguing that approaching your students authentically, being willing to learn with a teaching community, and working on your mindset are key pieces among others. Barbi also shares her own career story and what motivated her toward entrepreneurial work. We also talk about teaching and perfectionism, simple assessment, and communication apprehension. 

Find Dr. Barbi Honeycutt at barbihoneycutt.comm, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbihoneycutt/, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BarbiHoneycutt, and find her FaceBook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/lecturebreakers.  

Register for Lecture Breakers Virtual Conference here and find Barbi's Your Teaching Coach program here. Also, catch her podcast, Lecture Breakers, here.