"WHAT ARE THE WEEDS IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE? Part I"

WHAT’S WRONG WITH WEEDS?
Why are WEEDS such a problem? They are insidious, covert, stealth-like, creeping behaviors, habits, attitudes, activities, and relationships that are difficult to identify. They look like the real thing, but, instead, come along side and slowly suck the breath out of the real thing and destroy it. They can pop up everywhere you turn.

Consider your level of involvement and intensity in your daily tasks, such a teaching classes, writing grant proposals, journal manuscripts, and e-mail responses, and attending a bazillion meetings. It’s really difficult to step back and gain perspective to see the weeds interfering with those tasks. You’re too busy spinning your professorial wheels and expending great effort and energy to complete the tasks at hand to even notice:

“What’s wrong with this picture?” “Why isn’t this working?” “Why can I make any headway?” “Why do I feel so discouraged?”

WHAT ARE THE WEEDS IN YOUR LIFE?
What are the elements in your professional life that are negatively affecting your productivity? There are at least 5 categories of weeds that can kill your productive spirit: (1) mind, (2) heart, (3) relationships, (4) time, and (5) environment. This blog will start with your mind.

1. WEEDS IN YOUR MIND: Although most of you are not Wide World of Sports professional athletes, do you ever experience the “Agony of Defeat”? Does the constant barrage of disappointments, rejection, and failures get to you? How do you respond to these sources of discouragement? What are your “HIT RATES” with the following?

• grant proposals
• journal submissions
• conference proposals
• book prospectuses
• teaching load
• committee work
• student evaluations
• peer evaluations
• department chair evaluations
• reviews for promotion and tenure

Do any of these or a combination bring you to your knees and discourage you from pursuing your goals? Are you on the verge or have you reached your Quitting Quotient (QQ)?

These feelings are weeds growing in your mind that can prevent you from achieving your goals. They yield negative self-talk and counter-productive attitudes that can arrest your development and progress. Every hit seems to get bigger and bigger.

Do you have any of the preceding weeds? Jot them down so you can plan an attack. My next blogs will examine the weeds in your heart, relationships, time, and environment. Weeds just keep growing in us and around us everywhere.

COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC