Mentoring Program Calendar & Events

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Figure out what is important to you

• Evaluate values and priorities
  • Trade offs may be necessary (ex: more leadership opportunities versus more personal time)
• What is rewarding to you
  • On their deathbed, no one ever expresses regret that they did not spend enough time at work

Eliminate activities (and people) that drain your time and energy

• Track how you use your time
• Consider the importance/urgency matrix
• Find collaborators that make your work fun and inspire you
• Learn how to say no
  • Figure out a decision algorithm that works for you
  • Use trusted language for saying no “unfortunately, I am in the midst of several pressing deadlines and thus cannot take on this commitment. Please do not hesitate to ask if a future need should arise.”
  • If in doubt, never say yes until you have slept on it
  • If you say yes, say yes completely

Find ways to be more time efficient:

• Capitalize on your strengths, and collaborate with others who fill gaps in your expertise
• Spending time on hiring right person can save a lot of time over the long-run
• Consider work plans that accomplish more than one goal
  • Examples: Convert grants or presentations into review papers; Walk meetings/outdoor meetings to get exercise and fresh air
• Find win-win situations
  • Examples: Where appropriate, have post-doctoral fellow help co-mentor student which can benefit everyone; If don’t have bandwidth to lead a paper, find someone else to do it (with you as senior author if possible).

Build down-time into your schedule

• Schedule one thing to look forward to every day
• Plan vacations and time off
• Protect that time

Don’t apologize for making time for what is important to you

• Saying no to X (that committee, paper review, meeting) means saying yes to Y (your children, your health, your quality of life)
• You do not have to explain why you are not available, just that you have competing demands or are just not available.

Prioritize your health

• Exercise
• Nutrition
• Sleep

Find what relaxes you and do it

• Meditation, exercise, reading (not work reading), movies, hobbies, sports

Let go of perfectionism

• Don’t need to do a stellar job on everything you do (just on most important things)
• Don’t need to be an expert in everything

Unplug from technology

Get support from others

• Identify role models who have good balance
• Find a mentor/coach/guide
• Peers can be great source of support for navigating work-life challenges

Make structural changes

• Revisit old habits and patterns

Start small