What do you need this summer?
May 30, 2025
Hi friend!
I hope the transition from spring to summer is going smoothly, wherever you are in the process. If you're like me, you love the sense of freedom and possibility the summer brings. You may also know how quickly these positive feelings can be replaced with intense pressure to check things off our massive lists.
I’ve been reflecting on a conversation I had with a client a few years ago. She happened to be trying to lose weight, and at the beginning of our call, she shared with remorse that she’d gained a pound at her last weigh-in. Before I could say anything, she admitted that, actually, she hadn’t gained a pound. She’d lost 2 pounds. But she’d wanted to lose 3.
How often do we do this to ourselves? It’s so easy to skip right past the win, concluding that our successes weren’t enough somehow. In my experience, the summer—with its great and sometimes conflicting expectations (“I’ll spend every day at the beach, clean out all the closets, and submit seven journal articles by September!”)—can create the perfect breeding ground for this unhelpful mindset.
What if, instead, we focus on setting realistic goals that align with our true priorities, and make time to savor our progress, however small? I hope the resources below will help us do just that.
If there are other ways I can support you and your work, please let me know.
As always, thanks for being here, and thanks for being you!
With my warmest wishes,
Elizabeth
We kicked off the latest round of the STANDOUT Professor Confab with an interactive workshop on summer goal setting. Knowing how high our hopes can be for these precious summer months, we concentrated on staying grounded in what’s most important to us. I hope you’ll check it out and share it with others!
I’m thrilled to announce the release of a new episode of Voices of Authentic Excellence: The STANDOUT Professor podcast. I’m joined by Dr. Dereck Barr-Pulliam, an outstanding role model for anyone seeking balance in an academic life. I hope you’ll take time to listen as Dereck shares wise perspectives on a wide range of topics, including managing identity in professional spaces, the importance of maintaining a strong support system, and how parenthood reshapes priorities. You’ll be glad you did!
Whether you’re feeling empowered and energized or overwhelmed and exhausted, Resourced & Ready: The Ultimate R&R provides keys to finding balance and building resilience. I hope you’ll return to it often as you continue to navigate this uncertain terrain.
To support that process, I’ll be digging into a different key in each of my upcoming newsletters. We’ll explore the core concepts and consider simple ways to put them into practice. First up is Building Awareness. Why not get a jump start by taking 60 seconds to simply pause and notice what’s happening in your mind and body? No judgment allowed. Only curiosity and learning.