Welcome
Intentional Academia is a blog about productivity and purpose in higher education. Note that word, "and". It's my firm belief that we don't have to choose between getting things done, and done well, at work and having a full and rich life. By taking simple steps within coherent systems, we can have it all. It you share that belief, or want to learn more, you're in the right place.
I'll be posting content here every other Friday (twice a month), just in time for the weekend so you can read, reflect, then put these ideas to work first thing Monday morning.
Who's "we"?
I'm Robert Talbert, and I'm a faculty member at Grand Valley State University where I teach in the Mathematics Department and also hold a part-time appointment in our President's Office. I'm also a father, husband, speaker, writer, musician, and lover of the outdoors. I love my work, but early in my career I struggled, unsuccessfully, to keep my job from taking over my life. In the process, I discovered David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD) system. It transformed my life and career, and I've been exploring the particular ways GTD and similar ideas work for academic folks ever since.
I was inspired to start this publication by seeing so many colleagues in higher education, especially since the pandemic, hit hard by burnout and a lack of purpose. My goal is to build a community of academics who genuinely want to approach their work differently: with intention, and a view toward having both a great career and a great life.
This blog is targeted specifically at people in academia, because academics have unique and specific challenges when it comes to managing time, attention, tasks, and commitments that others don't. And it focuses on higher education because that’s what I know. But, this is a big tent: not just higher education faculty but also staff, administrators, and students as well as those from primary and secondary education all share these challenges.
You can find me elsewhere:
On the web at rtalbert.org
At my other Substack, Grading For Growth (co-authored with David Clark)
I also offer speaking engagements and workshop facilitation, which you can learn about at my Speaking page.
Consider becoming a patron
You can subscribe to Intentional Academia at no cost, and you’ll get bi-weekly posts sent right to your inbox for free. Just click the “Subscribe now” button and enter your email, and you’ll be good to go.
Biweekly posts will always be free. But if you find this publication useful, I’d be grateful if you signed up as a paid subscriber. For $5 per month or $50 per year, you can support my work and help the content here continue.
Another way to support my writing here is to refer this publication to other people — by word of mouth, sharing on social media, or by clicking this button:
No matter what, I appreciate your support just by being here, and I hope what I write here is helpful.
