How to not spontaneously implode as a new Assistant Professor
Photo by Crystal Kwok on Unsplash
If you are a newly-hired assistant professor, you may now be fully experiencing the full weight of a career in academia—starting a new lab, buying equipment, hiring your team, applying for funding, teaching courses (probably some for the first time), and of course, trying to get your papers out. At first, this is all very exciting (as it should be!), but somewhere along your first or second year, you may find yourself walking around feeling a bit shell-shocked, wondering how everyone else does this and whether you’re doing it wrong because it feels like just...so...much.
It can indeed feel overwhelming if you are trying to do everything, everywhere, all at once (great movie, btw). But, it can feel a bit more manageable if you embrace the following five mindsets.
1. It doesn’t all have to be perfect. This one is hard because as a student, you were likely one of the smartest around with the best grades, and along the way, you may have developed an expectation for perfectionism that has since stayed with you. But, perfectionism is a trap; arguably, ‘perfect’ is quite subjective, and trying to make something perfect in every aspect will cost you time and energy. Replace “Is this perfect?” with “Have I created quality on the things that matter?” and if the answer is ‘yes’, then get on with your day, especially if you’re in a time crunch. Even grants with some of the most beautifully crafted figures don’t get funded, and students often don’t care if your slides are exquisite. Spend your time on the components that truly matter and see what energy you have left over.
2. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. You may feel like you are expected to complete everything immediately. This false sense of urgency is exactly that—false. That’s not to say that there aren’t going to be overlapping deadlines. For example, you may have to give a lecture on the day the grant is due. But there are some things that can probably take a backseat while others get sorted: maybe you work on that paper next month after the grant goes in, or maybe you interview potential RAs after you have your first few lectures planned. Take a look at all of your activities, order them according to when they truly need to be done and/or how important it is for your career to get them done, and then layer those activities into your calendar. Look at the path ahead of you and set a reasonable pace for yourself. That will allow you to trust that you will ultimately get all of the activities done, because you have already allocated time for them (just not all in the same day).
3. Watch out for FOMO. You may feel like you need to be at every talk, every conference, every networking event, etc because everyone else is going and you might miss something. What you may really end up missing is sleep, hobbies, and time with friends and family. Pick out the subset of events that are most strategic for your career and give yourself time for your life outside of work.
4. “Embrace the suck”. This relatively recent phrase originated in the US military and was ultimately co-opted for business leaders and athletic trainers. To “embrace the suck” means to acknowledge that a given situation is horrible in some way (stressful, painful, exhausting) and then, rather than continuing to complain further, you find a way through it. There are moments in your career that are going to just… well, suck; due to the demanding workload, the uncertainty of the work, the lingering imposter syndrome, and all of the life things that pile up alongside all of the deadlines, etc, etc, etc. But, by acknowledging it, you can remove its power over you. You set aside the negative emotional response, and start making a plan of attack. This, in turn, leads to increased confidence that you can get through hard times, thereby making the next difficult chapter of your life easier to manage.
5. Remember that this too shall pass. Challenging moments in your career will come and go, just as the seasons do. Sometimes you just have to move through it. Remember that this is simply a season in your career, and it, too, will end. There will come a day when you feel a bit more relaxed, like maybe you finally have the hang of things, and you can calmly reflect on how far you’ve come!
Starting your independent academic career as an assistant professor is not easy, but the right mindsets can make all of the difference. If you need help shifting your perspective, reach out, or check out my coaching program here.
