🗣 overworked grad student
You can actually have a productive week of grad school WITHOUT burning out.
Getting a graduate degree is tough. Between classes, work, TA duties, research, and your personal life, BURNOUT FEELS INEVITABLE. And if you’re like most of the grad students in my community, you don’t feel like there is any room to drop one of your responsibilities to lighten your load.
And you’re thinking that if you could just get ahead by working over the weekend or during an academic break, then you could manage the next week better. Then you could breathe again.
But the next week is exactly the same. More work. More all-nighters. And no time for YOU.
And none of this is your fault.
The truth is that the amount of work on your plate isn’t the biggest issue.
The biggest problem is the belief that everything you are doing will make the same amount of impact on your graduate experience and life.
But that’s just not the case.
If you could learn to focus on the tasks and responsibilities that align with what YOU want for yourself, then you could spend less time on the things that don’t matter as much...creating MORE TIME for you to spend with yourself and your family.
But if you continue to try to do everything perfectly, you will always be stuck in a cycle of overwhelm, procrastination, and burnout.
And since you are here, I know that being stuck in that burnout + procrastination cycle is not what you want, is it?
“Before this program I often worked at the last minute and was extremely overwhelmed by my workload”
Toyin has taught me so much about managing my time to become more productive. I’ve learned how to prioritize my to-do lists based on my larger goals for the semester and how to work in productivity chunks.
Before this program I often worked at the last minute and was extremely overwhelmed by my workload.
Toyin’s guidance has made things so much more manageable and I’m definitely much more consistently productive with way less stress. This has been especially helpful with all the online learning happening this year. Thanks so much Toyin!
Laura, Master’s Student in Sociology
This story doesn’t just belong to you!
Time management IS a struggle in grad school.
What do you see every week? An endless list of tasks to get done without a clear idea of where to start.
What don’t you see? Anyone sharing how to get it all done.
And what do you hear? That this is just how grad school is. Everyone is overwhelmed and struggling.
But that doesn’t have to be true all of the time.
What if, occasionally, you could figure out how to manage your time, actually get work done, and complete your to-do list?
What if you could have your most productive week ever?
What if you learned a new way to plan your week, introduced accountability, and stopped going at it alone?
Imagine how it would feel if you had your most productive week ever.
What would that look like?
I want you to find out.
Here’s what it could look like:
grad student success stories
The above are the accomplishments of some of the grad students who went through the 3-Step Productive Week Framework inside of The Focus Method! They got all of this done in just one week. And on Saturday, when I asked them how they felt, they said they didn't feel burnt out at all!
In fact, they were still motivated to get more work done!
AGREE OR DISAGREE: TIME MANAGEMENT IS HARD!
And it’s also only a small piece of the academic puzzle. When we struggle with time management, it’s likely that we also struggle with planning, organization, or communication.
These are the four components of a system called project management, which is something I never learned in grad school. But I do believe that project management is essential for combining success in academia and living a fulfilled life at AT THE SAME TIME.
What is a project?
According to the Association for Project Management (APM), a project is
a unique, transient endeavor, undertaken to achieve planned objectives…a project is determined to be successful if it achieves the objectives according to their acceptance criteria within an agreed timescale and budget.
What stood out most to me in that definition is that a project must have a planned objective and it must be time bound. And yes, there is mention of cost as well. I think that in academia, everything we do has a time or energy cost that we should consider as we plan our projects.
This is a long list and it doesn’t even include your personal/life responsibilities…or hobbies!
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a system/framework to manage is all?
But a system or a framework isn’t enough…
What if you don’t feel like getting your work done?
Do you ever struggle with staying focused and motivated in grad school?
Do you ever get so overwhelmed that you fall into a black hole of procrastination, from which there is no escape?
Ok, that was dramatic. But it’s happened to me!
And there was only one thing that worked to get me out of my unmotivated, unproductive funk:
ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability can be the difference between making plans and schedules but still getting nothing done and actually following through on those plans.
Imagine this…
You wake up each morning knowing exactly what you will work on for the day and how long each task will take.
Imagine that you understand exactly which tasks are most important and which tasks to spend the most energy on.
You work on high-level tasks when you are feeling most productive and not when you are feeling drained.
Imagine that you' have created a schedule that optimizes when, where, and how you work best.
A schedule that prioritizes your most important and impactful tasks.
So that you never have to feel like this again:
Well, you don’t have to “imagine” any longer. Because…the solution is here.
I have a question for you…
And you’ve likely said to yourself, “Why do I feel like I’m doing so much but I’m never sure if I’m spending enough time on the right things?”
…you know, the things that will help with promotion or graduation!
“Helped me figure out what I need to be prioritizing according to my main responsibilities and values”
There are so many moving pieces in grad school, and I was trying to take every opportunity presented to me, becoming overwhelmed with research, work, and my academics. I got into this cycle of burning out regularly.
The resources Toyin created for The Academic Society helped me figure out what I need to be prioritizing according to my main responsibilities and my values. Toyin's process helped me create a solid structure each week, where I could put in self-care and me-time to prevent and stop the cycle of burn out.
I wish I would have discovered Toyin's resources much earlier in Grad School!
Mary, Master’s Student in Sustainable Development Practice
It’s time for you escape the cycle of procrastination and burnout and get time back by focusing on tasks that align with your goals and your values.
Just like these grad students inside of FOCUS!
Let me show you what’s waiting for you
inside FOCUS, once you join the program…
“For the first time in a long time, I became hopeful and motivated.”
I took a fulltime job when I was a fourth year doctoral candidate. I know, not a great idea, but it was necessary. I became overwhelmed by my dissertation. I lost focus and motivation, and I felt like a failure. That all changed when a friend told me about The Academic Society.
I signed up for the Project Management for Academics Framework, and for the first time in a long time I became hopeful and motivated. I have since shared The Academic Society with many students and colleagues, and everyone, absolutely everyone loves how Toyin helps process, organize, and plan.
Project Management for Academics helped me get back on track and has become a part of my daily routine. Thanks, Toyin!
-Ed.D Curriculum and Instruction (ABD)
Module 1
The Focus Framework
I have the solution for burning out. The key is narrowing your focus and figuring out exactly what you need to work on that will make the most impact so that you're not spending all of your time trying to work on EVERYTHING.
Everything does not have the same level of importance...
That includes choosing which classes are more important than others and choosing which assignment will have the biggest impact on your life, your future, your research, on your grade.
In this module, I teach you how to spend the majority of your time on the things that matter most.
You will discover:
The single most important skill to help you stop wasting time on #allthethings and get time back by working on the right things.
The Easiest way to reset your semester after being stuck in a cycle of procrastination and burnout.
The secret to creating daily to-do lists that align with your goals based on YOUR STAGE of academia
And all of that together helps you learn the skill of PRIORITIZATION.
Module 2
The Project Management for Academics Framework
What is a project?
According to the Association for Project Management (APM), a project is
a unique, transient endeavor, undertaken to achieve planned objectives…a project is determined to be successful if it achieves the objectives according to their acceptance criteria within an agreed timescale and budget.
What stood out most to me in that definition is that a project must have a planned objective and it must be time bound. And yes, there is mention of cost as well. I think that in academia, everything we do has a time or energy cost that we should consider as we plan our projects.
SO WHAT DOES A PROJECT LOOK LIKE IN ACADEMIA?
Publishing a paper
Completing a successful job search as a search committee member
Writing a letter of recommendation
Applying for a grant
Collecting data
Prepping to teach a class
Writing a test
Advising students
Grading an assignment
committee projects
Writing a paper
And the list goes on…
This is a long list and it doesn’t even include your personal/life responsibilities…or hobbies!
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a system/framework to manage is all?
It’s called project management and I’ve created a project management framework designed specifically for academics.
In the project management for academics framework, you will learn:
How to identify what to focus on each day so that you don’t burnout
The secret to structuring your days so that you don’t procrastinate
The most effective way to optimize your days so that you use your time efficiently
The TRUTH about time management that you never learned in school
Module 3
Your Most Productive Week Ever Framework
How would you feel if, for the rest of the semester, you could finally get out of your head, out of your own way, and actually complete your to-do list each week?
Your Most Productive Week Ever is an accountability and productivity framework for grad students that also teaches you time management.
Here's how it works:
1. I teach you my unique way of weekly planning (the productivity accelerator method). I've recorded a planning session that you can watch every single week when you want to plan your most productive week ever.
2. Then I share I how to create a realistic and manageable to-do list everyday by helping you prioritize what is important.
3. There is also an accountability Discord server for members of Focus. In the group, you will share your goals and accomplishments and invite the other members to have co-working sessions with you. You can get sooo much done when you aren't working alone.
In the your most productive week ever module, you will discover:
How to complete assignments before the deadline without feeling overwhelmed and overworked
The secret to following-through on your goals without giving up
The single most effective way to motivate yourself to work.
The EASIEST way to uplevel your productivity
Sounds amazing! How much is the investment?
My favorite thing about Focus is seeing the students in the program supporting each other and cheering each other on.
To get this kind of support and daily accountability, most grad students would need to hire an accountability coach or a grad school coach.
And coaches are EXPENSIVE!
A professional accountability coach charges at least $200 per session!
Focus is half that investment!
And you get access to Focus forever!
Let’s set up a scenario:
Lisa is a PhD student. She’s interested in Focus but she knows she only has two more years of grad school left. That’s 4 semesters.
She’s not sure if it’s worth it to join Focus.
How much would you pay for this program per semester?
$50 a semester?
Would that sound reasonable?
Well, you can join Focus for just 3 installments of $37. That’s it! And you get access to all three modules…FOREVER!
So Lisa would be paying less than $30/semester for Focus!
That’s such a small investment compared to the value that she’ll be getting inside of Focus.
I have some extra “Goodies” for you
The 3 main modules of Focus will completely transform how you prioritize, structure, and follow-through on your goals in grad school. But that’s only the beginning.
When you join, Focus, you also get 3 MASSIVE bonuses to make your work sessions more efficient and your success in grad school even easier, and tools that simplify everything you do! Starting with…
Monthly Planning Sessions
Live Monthly Planning Sessions using the Project Management for Academics Framework
On the last Saturday of each month, we meet Live on Zoom at 1pm EST to walk through the Project Management Framework together and organize and plan the next month.
Each session is recorded and added to the Focus dashboard for anyone who misses it.
Co-Working Community
24/7 Accountability Discord server and Zoom Co-Working Space
Share your goals in the accountability Discord server and invite other Focus members to work with you!
Time Management Essentials
Quick Time Management Tips Implementation Training
The combination of multiple responsibilities, sporadic deadlines, and last-minute email reminders make it nearly impossible to feel like your schedule is under control as a graduate student. It can be difficult to keep everything organized and stay motivated each semester.
In this 30 minute training, I teach you 4 practical time management tips that you can immediately add to your weekly routine.
So now it’s time to make one of two choices…
Now, you have two options. The first is to choose nothing and continue working hard and doing your best in your grad program just as you have been. But as you know, if you keep doing the same things, nothing will change.
Are you happy to continue as you’ve been?
Or would you like to join a supportive group of like-minded grad students who are choosing to say no to the endless cycle of procrastination and burnout and yes to the principles of prioritization, structure, and accountability?
You could STOP wasting time on #allthethings and GET TIME BACK by working on the right things.
You could learn to FOCUS on the tasks and goals that align with your vision for yourself.
Are you ready to enroll in Focus and change your grad school life?
Your most popular questions, answered:
What makes the students inside of Focus so successful?
The accountability that you get inside of the accountability Facebook group. Inside of the group, students share their weekly goals, celebrate their wins, and work together in the co-working space.
It’s easy to be motivated when you have a group of like-minded scholars cheering you on!
Do I need to have a Facebook account?
No! The accountability group used to be hosted on Facebook, but now it’s hosted on a Discord server and that’s where you will connect with the other students in the program. And that’s where the students meet up to co-work together.
Is Focus a monthly membership?
No; once you have paid the price of the program (3 installments of $37 or one installment of $97) you are in the program forever.
How long will I have access to Focus?
Forever! Once you’re in, you get access to the trainings, the group, and the co-working space forever!
What if I’m not available for the monthly planning sessions?
Every planning session is recorded. So if you miss out, the recorded will be posted in the Focus program dashboard so that you can watch it whenever you are ready.
If I don’t like the program, can I get a refund?
Yes! But only if you request a refund within the first 30 days of purchasing the program.
To request a refund, you first need to attend one of the monthly planning sessions (or watch the recording) and 3 co-working sessions. If you still don’t like the program, email me and I’ll refund you.