I started to see the book as something bigger – not a memoir for me, not a memoir for Jacinda Ardern, but a memoir written to do something in the world. But what?
A different kind of audience – a review of Jacinda Ardern’s memoir
It’s not about productivity
I admit, I do read books that are categorised as 'productivity' -- I've even reviewed a few on this site, such as Elizabeth Emen's Life Admin, Johann Hari's Stolen Focus and Cal Newport's Deep Work. But I deeply dislike the word productivity. I don't read books like this because I want to be a more... Continue Reading →
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Caring for life: the book that is finally here
Wow! Thank you to those of you who have stuck with me for TEN years now. This blog is 10 years old and the BOOK that I have been working on for all that time is finally for real. The final stages of the book included spending August of 2022 recieving NO meetings zoom or... Continue Reading →
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University skills: Doing your first geography assessment
Beginning your first assessment in university human geography can be daunting. But here is a step-by-step guide to getting started.
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Editing: the most painful and most pleasurable writing task
Editing is the most painful and most pleasurable part of writing for me. In the book coming out of my PhD thesis, it was more pain than pleasure!
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Focus, interruption, and an overdue book
Writing a book is so hard. Well, drafting a book was relatively straightforward. But the post-review rewrite and edit has been brutal. It's not that I can't do it, it's finding the time and space to have uninterrupted writing and editing that allows me to retain the whole book in my head while I finish... Continue Reading →
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Getting your PhD (back) on track 3: getting the right kind of feedback
How do you get the right kind of feedback from your supervisor? There isn't one right answer but in this post I point you in the direction of some resources to help you get started.
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Getting your PhD (back) on track 2: other tasks
In my PhD workshops, there are also plenty of students who can do the deep work, but struggle to get all the other tasks done that ensure they can complete their PhD. This includes organising meetings, organising interviews or data collection, calling people on the phone, getting progress reports completed, organising childcare and assisting their... Continue Reading →
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Getting your PhD (back) on track 1: Deep work and focus
Recently I gave a workshop about getting your PhD on track -- or back on track, for those who have had some delays and detours due to COVID-19 and the usual crises and distractions that accompany PhDs. It seemed clear to me that I could not get anyone's PhD back on track in a mere... Continue Reading →
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My new normal: reducing decision fatigue with four kids and fulltime work
I used to think routines are unnecessary. Now I can't live without them!
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The Invisible Gender of Deep Work
A book review of Cal Newport's Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, 2016, London: Little Brown. It's no secret that many of us find it difficult to find space to do the deep thinking that we need to push forward our work -- our paid work, but also our self-work, or... Continue Reading →
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Three Words 2017: Prepare, Deeper, Joy
Prepare, deeper, joy. For 2017, these were my touchstone words, reminding me of the things I was to ponder and experiment with this year. Choosing a word for the year is something a little bit more open to the unknown, a little less goal-driven and anxiety producing than deciding how much weight to lose or... Continue Reading →
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An article six years in the making…
I am just so ridiculously pleased to finally have this article out. I first presented the material that became this article in July 2011 in Sydney, Australia. I have been on two writing retreats where I've worked at least in part on this article. I have rewritten it countless times into three or four different... Continue Reading →
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Be gone, cruel voices
I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in this. I’m thinking of when you have something important to do, to say, but become paralysed by your uncertainty about your ability — or your right — to do it, to even begin! What if what I have to say is not actually so important, if it is, in fact,... Continue Reading →
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Slow Scholarship starts with Slow Reading
I wonder if you know the feeling: You have a few hours, or a day, to get some writing done -- to get it finished, in fact! You have been longing for this for weeks, perhaps months. You sit in front of your computer, open your document and immediately find it hard to connect with... Continue Reading →
Throwntogetherness 