All of you, myself included, are no doubt off and running and trying to meet the heavy demands placed on us to deliver on teaching, service, and for some, research. How is that going? If feeling overwhelmed already please find a way to introduce the word "no" into your vocabulary. The requests on your time, talents, and energy will continue to pour in and saying "yes" all the time is not good for anyone because overcommitment, even based on the best of intentions, leads to stress which leads to anger, frustration, stress, and the like.
So today's teaching tip is to start using the word "no" strategically. I do this by figuring out exactly those nouns (people, places, things) that will be my number one priority for the semester and focusing on them 100% before giving any thought to anything else. The result? I actually have a life now and can spend time pursuing things in life that are important to me, such as my family, and am better off for it. So, give it a try. Establish your priorities and say "no" to those nouns that will take you off track for the sake of doing an effective job and keeping a positive attitude all the while "teaching those pesky students" and "jumping through administrative hoops." Better still, you will find yourself to be more productive than ever before once you establish and focus on your priorities.
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