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There is beauty in discovering the tasks and projects you dislike. Sounds crazy, but it's true! How can you use the energy of your experience with an unenjoyable project to move forward? How can you even finish this project you have taken on? Welcome to Gradschooled, a podcast about how to organize your genius for better professional opportunities and a thriving life. In today’s workshop, we’re discussing accountability, finding your flow, and how to open and close a work session. Creating a plan and sticking to it will set you up for success, but what happens when the tedious tasks get you down? Join us as we share our successes, our struggles, and our plans and let’s get our genius flowing! Show Notes: [1:11] - Fatimah starts the workshop with a moment for guests to share their top three priorities for the week. A guest shares how she is working on her dissertation and what her successes were this week. [2:54] - Accountability is important. Checking in with a group or sharing project progress in a safe space. Fatimah suggests setting up some sort of accountability system that works for you even if you tend to be introverted. [4:34] - Sometimes it means being creative when bringing people into your group. That accountability is key for Fatimah who knows that she isn’t just showing up for herself, but her group as well. [5:17] - Another guest admits that her lack of discipline caused her to not accomplish the tasks on her plan. She decided to not be hard on herself and still looked at the big picture of what she has been able to accomplish. [6:55] - When experiencing a work block, decide whether to stick to your plan or completely release yourself from it. One of the things that holds us back from keeping your genius going is self judgment. [8:45] - One guest says that she bit off more than she can chew with her current project and has discovered that the monotonous tasks involved in this particular project are not enjoyable to her. [9:39] - There is beauty in realizing the projects and tasks that you dislike and you can now take those tasks off your list. Let the energy of this experience adjust how you approach what comes next. [11:47] - Trying different types of work may help you find your groove with a project you don’t enjoy. For example, chunk the work into different amounts of time to allow yourself to step away. [13:35] - Fatimah shares an exercise from The Professional Pathways Planner that discusses ways to open and close a work session. How you open and close a work session can affect how you pick up the work again. [15:16] - Allow for tasks and ideas to be leftover. Fatimah says to “leave some in the tank” so you can pick your flow back up and know where you were going with your project. [16:20] - Having a place to make quick notes, whether that be a digital note taking platform or a hard copy planner, is crucial to helping you pick up where you left off. Write down the three things you want to accomplish the next time you get back to work. [18:00] - The Genius Retreat is a two-day retreat designed to allow you to refocus for 2021. Over the course of two days, you will join Fatimah and a team of wellness professionals to decompress, reflect, and prepare. [21:03] - Fatimah shares how she opens up a work session of a project she might not enjoy by affirming what she does like about it and tries to find different techniques to bring focus to the task. [22:53] - “Work makes life sweet,” is a great quote shared by another guest who offers her advice for getting through work that you do not enjoy by taking a meditative approach. [24:32] - Using a timer to help you manage your time into smaller chunks is also another method that can help you get started, work diligently for a set time, and give yourself a break. This may also help cultivate your ability to focus next time. [26:03] - The point is to get to your genius and find your flow. When you hit moments of friction, you will feel the negative side of that. For the sake of understanding why you may be experiencing friction to work completion, ask yourself what is this friction telling you? Hang out with Dr. Fatimah Williams Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Beyond the Tenure Track The Professional Pathways Planner Free Planning Tool Kit