The Academic Imperfectionist
Episodes
#30: Rejection stings less when you channel your inner toddler
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rejection stings - literally (kind of). But you can make it sting a bit less. Part of what makes it so hard is that we're so keen on kicking ours...
#29: You need to date your career choices, not marry them
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Choosing a career is a serious business, right? It's something we do only after a lot of sombre reflection, when we're absolutely certain th...
#28: Moore's paradox: When what you believe about yourself doesn't make sense
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever have thoughts like, 'It's ok to take breaks, but I don't believe it's ok to take breaks'? Or, 'Nobody will t...
#27: Your new year resolutions survival guide
07 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is the new year a good time to make some positive changes in your life? Or are new year resolutions a bit ... you know, cliched? And if you do decide ...
#26: Why writing is like sleeping
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Not an obvious comparison, I'll admit. But, trust me, you're way better at knowing how to draw boundaries around your sleep (even if you don...
#25: You don't know what 'success' means until you know who you are
26 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about success and failure all the time. You're probably in the habit of telling yourself that you'll never succeed, or that other pe...
#24: Your inner critic is not a videogame boss
12 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You've read the inspirational quotes, you've got uplifting affirmations written on post-it notes and stuck to your fridge, you're fully...
#23: The way you're trying to motivate yourself is all wrong
29 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
All that beating yourself up about how lazy you are, and about how you're not achieving the things you need to achieve as fast as you need to ach...
#22: Dealing with uncertainty
15 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you struggle to cope with uncertainty - about the effects of the pandemic, about your career, about your income, your relationship, and God knows w...
#21: Let's talk about lists, plans, and goals
01 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Would you rather boil your head than start the day by making a task list? Does the idea of identifying your core values make you feel faint? Are you t...
#20: Don't just write it - ferment it!
17 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
So, you heard the last episode, and you're completely on board with not writing being an essential part of writing. But what sort of not-writing ...
#19: Not writing is an essential part of writing
03 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Yeah, I know - you should be writing. Same here. Not writing enough is one of the worst sins a researcher can commit - and we're all committing i...
#18: There is no such thing as self-sabotage
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have a battle going on inside every time you try to achieve something important - a battle between the part of you that's trying to do wel...
#17: The importance of wasting your time
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
That productivity you care so much about: what's it for? For too many of us, it's not for anything. It's the ultimate end. Unless we&ap...
#16: Stop moving your goalposts
23 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You know what I’m talking about. You set out to achieve something important, you manage to achieve it (because you’re awesome and of course you di...
#15: Help! I have brain fog!
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, you were storming it. Hitting your writing targets. Keeping up with emails. Getting everything done (well, more or less). So, why is everyt...
#14: Become your own biggest advocate, with Immanuel Kant
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How many times have people told you that you should believe in yourself, and how many times have you responded by thinking, 'Pfft, how can I be...
#13: How to work as efficiently as you procrastinate
11 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Q: Why is it that you manage to find all the focus, enthusiasm, and dedication you need when it comes to explaining why some dude on Reddit is NTA, bu...
#12: Delete your scarcity mindset
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
HURRY! Listen now! This episode will expire in 13 hours, 49 minutes, and 37 seconds! You know that’s nonsense, right? Okay, but do you also realise ...
#11: Why you have impostor syndrome, and what to do about it: remembering Katherine Hawley
14 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Your desk is covered with self-affirmations on Post-It notes, you spend 5 minutes every morning visualising yourself as Queen of the Universe, and you...
#10: Dealing with your inner reviewer 2
30 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Does writing make you anxious? Is having any original idea immediately followed by a nagging voice in your head telling you that it's probably ru...
#9: Cancel your productivity anxiety
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We get into a vicious circle when we’re anxious about our productivity. We get anxious about falling behind, our anxiety interferes with our work, a...
#8: The nostalgia illusion
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever find yourself caught up in nostalgia, reliving the past, convinced that nothing the future holds can possibly live up to the good times yo...
#7: How can I flourish in an unjust world?
19 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
No amount of coaching is going to turn a sexist, racist, ableist society into a just and fair one. So, there's no point in even trying to flouris...
#6: Live the dream!
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
So, you've dreamed up your ideal life. What now? You go and get it, that's what now. There's just one problem: there's only one pe...
#5: Bitch, do you even dream?
19 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Suppose that your Academic Imperfectionist Godmother could wave her magic wand and give you the life of your dreams, right now. What would you ask for...
#4: How to hack your assertiveness with Aristotle
05 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You know you need to say no more, right? And you know that, in theory, there must be a way to do it without coming across as the world's most arr...
#3: Rage against the positivity
30 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Turn that frown upside down! Don't be a Moaning Minnie! Nobody likes a Debbie Downer! Oh, give yourselves a break, my emo friends. All that posit...
#2: But I haven't earned a rest!
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when you're ready to collapse but you haven't done enough to earn a rest? Answer: you take a rest, and while you're doin...
#1: Toxic gratitude
16 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's good to be grateful, right? Well, maybe ... but maybe not. Sometimes our gratitude is toxic: we use it to suppress and ignore negative feeli...