Head Space

Calm productivity for academics

No longer active

This site is now an archive of my previous work. I have moved all my ongoing writing to https://michael-rowe.github.io/home-michael/

Tag: academic writing

  • Academic writing workflow with Obsidian

    Transform your fragmented academic writing workflow into an integrated system that enhances your thinking and productivity. Learn why traditional approaches to managing academic writing across multiple platforms may be holding you back, and explore how connected note-taking tools like Obsidian can create a more natural, sustainable writing environment.

  • Academic writing process: From enduring to enjoying your scholarship

    Transform your academic writing process from a source of stress into a sustainable practice. This post explores how shifting focus from outputs to process can enhance both your writing quality and experience. Learn practical strategies for creating an enjoyable writing routine that supports long-term scholarly growth while maintaining well-being.

  • Writing regularly changes what you pay attention to

    I often find my attention being hijacked by whatever happens to show up in my feed. And in the moment, that content may very well be interesting. The problem is that so much information can be interesting while still having relatively little value. When I’ve set aside 1-2 hours of writing time every day, my attention…

  • Write so that you can’t be misunderstood

    If you’re like me, you probably spend a lot of your writing time trying to persuade; trying to convince the reader of some point or another. You’re intent on making sure the reader understands you. And this is fine. However, when you’re done writing to be understood, you could try editing your work with the…

  • Boost your academic writing productivity with this simple approach

    Discover how reading and writing habits can boost your academic writing productivity. While many academics struggle to find time for writing amidst their responsibilities, the solution may be straightforward: read more, and write more. Learn practical strategies for embedding these essential practices into your academic workflow.

  • Reduce the friction of writing

    The lower your barrier to getting started, the more writing you can fit into your day. We’ve all experienced that resistance to sitting down and putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Even when you know you need to write, it can feel mentally draining to summon the willpower and concentration you need to…

  • Design your academic workflow to do less

    Improving your academic workflow isn’t about squeezing more things into less time. It’s about spending more time on fewer things.

  • Publish or perish is the wrong choice

    Academics face a misleading “publish or perish” dichotomy, risking lower quality work and unfair demands on those unable to publish frequently. Hard work can coincide with joy, challenging the necessity of this binary. Alternative career goals encourage a balanced approach, promoting both productivity and well-being in academia.

  • Writing is the work: Rethinking the academic writing process

    Many academics view writing as the final step of research – something to do after the ‘real work’ is done. But the academic writing process is not just about documenting completed work. Writing is thinking, and engaging with writing throughout your project helps clarify ideas and strengthen your research outcomes.

  • Writing related activities also count as writing

    Discover why writing related activities like reading, annotating, editing, and organising are crucial parts of the writing process. Embracing these tasks can help you maintain steady progress on your academic projects, even when you’re not in the right frame of mind for generating new content.

  • The first draft is the hardest

    Understanding why the first draft is so hard to write can transform your academic productivity. Rather than fighting against the difficulty of starting, learn how embracing the challenge of first drafts can lead to more productive writing sessions and better scholarly outcomes.