Balanced Academic

This week I wanted to cover some new ground with the Sunday Reset and talk about values.

Living through your values means consistently and consciously aligning your decisions, actions, and way of life with what you believe is most important. So for this week’s reset, instead of focusing only on to-do lists and routines, I want to reset by coming back to what matters most. Productivity feels better when it’s rooted in values, not just tasks.

I may write another post in the future that goes deeper into how to identify your values and find ways to live through them (if that’s something you’re interested in – make sure to like and subscribe). For now Brené Brown’s website has some excellent resources and exercises for values-based living, including a list of values you can explore.

Sometimes grad school feels harder than it needs to because we’re acting out of alignment with our values. For example, if family is one of your top values, but you’re always too busy to see them, it can chip away at your well-being. If you value creativity, but never get space to develop your own ideas, that dissonance can leave you feeling stuck and unmotivated. By identifying our values and finding ways to put them into practice, we can strengthen our wellbeing – and that trickles down into motivation, focus, and productivity in grad school.

Here are three gentle prompts I use for a values-based reset:

1. Alignment -> What did I do this week that truly reflected my values?

Example: One of my top values is health, and this week I made sure to move my body regularly and enjoy a nutritious meal each day.

2. Gaps -> Was there a moment where I felt out of alignment? What might I want to adjust?

Example: Openness and honesty are important values for me, and sometimes I struggle to be completely open with my supervisor. When this happens, I notice my mood shift and I feel off-balance. This one is tricky in grad school, where power-dynamics can make you second-guess yourself – but with reflection and confidence building, it gets easier to speak up.

3. Intention -> Which value do I want to prioritize in the coming week?

Example: This week I want to prioritize leadership. I have mentorship meetings with junior lab members and I want to set a collaborative and supportive tone.

As we move further into the semester, it’s easy to slip into autopilot. The Sunday Reset is a chance to pause and refocus. Even if the week ahead is packed, choosing one guiding value can bring clarity, motivation, and a sense of purpose.

If this resonated with you and you’re interested in more posts like this, hit the like button, drop a comment, share, or subscribe so you don’t mss the next reset.

Here’s to balance – one Sunday reset at a time.