What if the phrase “I need to find more time to write” is actually keeping you stuck?

In this episode of Publish Not Perish: The Podcast, I challenge one of the most common beliefs about academic writing and explain why that phrase leads us into a scarcity mindset. I share a story from my time as junior faculty at a top research university, where I was constantly juggling research, teaching, and service—each one framed as essential. Like many academics, I tried to squeeze writing into whatever time was left after handling the "urgent" stuff. But the real shift came when I realized the issue wasn’t time—it was how I was (or wasn’t) protecting the time I had.

If you’ve been waiting for a magical stretch of time to appear so you can finally write, this episode is for you. I walk through practical strategies for reclaiming your time and energy: naming your true priorities, embracing “good enough” in non-priority areas, and gently pushing back against the culture that says everything must be excellent.

You’ll hear how small, intentional shifts can help you stop feeling like a victim of your calendar and start actively protecting your writing time. And if you want support making that shift sustainable, check out my course Flourish: Cultivating a Sustainable Writing Practice, where we build systems to make writing fit into your real life.

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