Woke up this morning to a text from a student.
"Did you see the reviews? We got a revision!"
My student was so excited!
What a glorious moment! The enthusiasm & joy was infectious. My outlook on the day brightened. My step became a little lighter!
That text helped me reflect on how celebrating small wins makes academic life so much better! Joy is contagious!
Because academics are busy with teaching, committee meetings, student advising, & research, we often fail to recognize the small wins.
Celebrating small wins contributes to building positive attitudes, cultures & strong relationships.
What is a small win?
Wins that we routinely experience, that we tend to take for granted. A few small examples from academic life.
Publication wins
* submitting a paper - they haven't said no yet!
* receiving a revision - they didn't say no!
Local wins
* winning an internal grant for travel or research - they said yes!
* positive news on a colleagues' work - their success is my success!
Advising wins
* the manipulations worked in an experiment - woohoo!
* a student lands a job! - I hate seeing them go, but!
Student wins
* a former student earning a promotion - I love seeing "my kids" succeed in industry!
* learning a student returned to graduate school - I love when "my kids" become lifelong learners!
Outreach wins
* invitations to talk at a uni - It's an opportunity to make new friends!
* appearing in the local press - It's how we impact the world - right?
Family wins
* your kid has a great game or test - who doesn't want to hear about someone's kid doing well?
* being able to visit family - against the backdrop of a pandemic, time with family is precious!
These are samples of small wins found in my academic life - & while I don't share all of them with colleagues, there is a fine line with oversharing - I do take a moment to acknowledge the moment and feel good when each one happens.
Why celebrate wins?
The joy that comes with small wins shields you against the despair that could come with losses, such as the inevitable rejections that accompany innovative research, the time spent counseling a troubled student, or the turmoil in the world outside of the Ivory Tower.
Learning to celebrate small wins has helped armor me to deal with the travails of academic life & equip me to view change & adversity as opportunities.
More than that, sharing small wins has positive ripple effects. Sharing wins with my family has helped us to find balance. Sharing my joy has made me a better parent & partner. Letting yourself experience joy has such positive implications for your daily life!
How to do it?
Form a habit of recognizing wins. Identify what matters to you. Make time to celebrate. You are never too busy to feel joy!
What should I do?
Take time this weekend to celebrate a small win - you'll find that next week looks a lot better!
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jason-thatcher-0329764_mentalhealth-academiclife-mentoring-activity-6913462214658048000-RP1S?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=member_desktop_web
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