Do an inventory check
Photo by Sarguninder Singh on Unsplash
If you’ve ever worked in retail, you have likely been involved in an inventory check. This process, done at least on an annual or bi-annual basis, entails checking what products (i.e., stock) you currently have, what condition those products are in, and whether the ones present balance with the order and sales records. Although we don’t tend to refer to it as such, a similar process should happen in your academic career too. In retail, you track what’s in stock to plan for upcoming orders based on the current inventory and sales trends; in academia, you ‘take stock’ to ensure your time and energy align with your evolving goals.
So, what does an academic inventory check look like? There are 5 main components:
1. What did you achieve? List out your wins—big and small—that have happened since your last inventory check. Did you create a new course that was successfully received by a new cohort of students? Did you get that grant application in? What papers did you get published? Did you graduate one or more of your PhD students? It’s important to keep track of how far you’ve come, so that you can recognize and celebrate your achievements.
2. What didn’t go as you had hoped? Maybe there was a project that you wanted to get off the ground but didn’t. Maybe the grant didn’t get funded. Maybe that paper never got written. Now, ask yourself if these items are honestly still priorities for you. It’s ok if they’re not. But, if they’re not, well, then cross them off your to-do-list, both the digital/physical list and the list that you’re constantly running through in your head. And if they are still a priority, try to understand why progress wasn’t made. Did you not have dedicated and consistent time in your calendar for them? Were you waiting for someone else’s input? If you understand why things didn’t pan out as you had hoped, then you can develop strategies for making progress on these activities in the near future.
3. Review your major career goals. Our plans and hopes and dreams change over time. Are your major career goals still relevant for you? Have these goals shifted in their prioritization? Are there new goals to add to the list? What are you really excited to work towards? You can compare this review against previous inventory checks to see how you might have been changing course. Then you can decide whether you need a course-correction to get back on track, or if you should lean into new directions.
4. Prioritize your activities for the next year. Understanding where you want to go in your major career goals then helps to define the subgoals and your next steps. What actions do you want to take in the next year, and in what order, to move towards your larger career goals? What projects from Step 2 need renewed focus? What new interests need attention? What can you do to level up the next stage in your career?
5. Evaluate what supports you will need, in order to achieve those activities. Do you need to hire a research assistant, or recruit an undergraduate student to move a project forward? Who in your lab will be leaving soon? Who needs to be trained up to ensure there’s continuity in your lab’s workflow? Do you need a new piece of equipment? Do you need to level up your own skills? Do you need to find a collaborator with the right expertise? Identify the people and resources that you need to succeed, and then set about getting them.
Now, how can you make sure that an inventory check actually happens?
First, it’s helpful to carve out a few days once or twice a year for your inventory check. Maybe right before holiday break, and/or right after the spring semester ends, you mark off 2 or 3 days of no meetings that you then protect. Just like you wouldn’t let any meetings creep into the time you’ve marked off for a conference, or for a grant panel, or for your vacation, don’t let anything creep into your inventory check days. Plan them a few months early, so that you know that they’re coming, and so that you can manage all of the rest of your responsibilities around those days accordingly. It can also help to schedule a little bit of time each week to keep notes on what has been happening (good or bad) in your career, so you can easily review your progress during your inventory check.
Second, believe that it is perfectly ok that these days are just for you, and that you deserve them. You’ve worked hard in your career to get to this point. Taking an inventory check is continuing to invest in yourself and your future success.
Finally, set the environment and make it fun for yourself. Maybe an inventory check starts with coffee at your favorite local spot or brunch at that restaurant you’ve been meaning to try. Listen to your favorite music. Break out the shiny new notebook and the fancy new pen that you bought just for this moment. If you’re working from home, light scented candles. Unplug, unwind, and think about all of the possibilities waiting for you and make a plan to capture them. When you pause to reflect and take stock, you remind yourself that your career isn’t simply an endless list of to-dos and upcoming deadlines. Instead, your career has vision and meaning, and it’s a story that you are actively shaping.
You wouldn’t run a store without checking your inventory on a regular basis. Don’t run your career without checking in on yourself, your activities, and your goals. If you haven’t paused to take stock lately, put it in your calendar. Your future self will thank you. And if you need help with your inventory check, reach out!
Next week: Take time to rest
