I stepped onto campus that crisp September morning, my twelfth year as a university professor stretching before me like an unexplored terrain. The weight of my laptop bag reminded me of the countless lessons I’d learned—not just in my field of study, but in the art of living a fulfilled academic life.

Chapter 1: Becoming a Time Tamer

I chuckled, remembering my early days when time seemed to slip through my fingers like sand. “I was drowning in a sea of papers and grant proposals,” I mused. But those days were behind me now. I had mastered my minutes, orchestrating my semesters like a well-conducted symphony. Fall and winter became my teaching crescendos, with research humming quietly in the background. Summer brought a different rhythm—an allegro of conferences and deep dives into research punctuated by much-needed rests. “It’s all about the ebb and flow,” I often told my anxious grad students. “You can’t be in full sprint all year round.”

Chapter 2: Conquering the Chaos

As I unlocked my office door, I smiled at the neat stacks of papers and colour-coded calendars on my desk. Gone were the days of midnight grading frenzies and last-minute lecture preparations. “Organization isn’t just about tidiness,” I’d realized. “It’s about creating space in your mind.”My system was simple but effective. Mondays were for planning lectures, and Fridays were for grading. Emails had its time slot, preventing it from becoming a constant distraction. “Clear boundaries,” I nodded to myself, “are the foundation of academic sanity.”

Chapter 3: Becoming a Wellness Warrior

Settling into my chair, I took a deep breath, savouring the lingering calm from my morning meditation. The pandemic had been a harsh teacher, but its lessons in self-care were invaluable. My days began with quiet reflection, often followed by a walk with my husband, George. “Remember when we started that vegetable garden?” George had asked just last night as we prepared a salad with vegetables from our garden. I laughed, recalling our initial clumsiness with seeds and soil. But like my approach to work-life balance, our garden flourished with patience and care.

Chapter 4: Pioneering My Passions

As my computer booted up, I glanced at the framed photo of my fishing trip from last summer. It wasn’t just a hobby—it was a lifeline to joy beyond the ivory tower. “We all need something just for us,” I thought, making a mental note to work on my blog later that evening. The blog started as a simple outlet to express myself, be a source of information, and build a community. I dream of it becoming a vibrant community of academics, professionals, students and allies sharing their struggles and triumphs. It reminded me that even in the solitary world of research, connection was key.

Chapter 5: Building Resilience

A notification popped up on my screen—another rejection from a prestigious journal. Years ago, this would have sent me into a tailspin of self-doubt. Now, I took a deep breath and opened the file. “Okay, let’s see what we can learn from this,” I murmured, already thinking about how to strengthen the paper for its next submission.

Epilogue: The Balanced Professor

As the day wound to a close, I packed up my bag, looking forward to the evening ahead. There was a time when work would have followed me home, an unwelcome guest at the dinner table. But not anymore. I had learned that being a great professor didn’t mean sacrificing everything else.

Walking across the now-quiet campus, I felt a sense of contentment. My path to balance hadn’t been easy, but it had been worth every step. And as I continued to grow and learn, I knew that the best chapters of my academic story were still to come.

Please share lessons you have learned.