Last Updated on August 18, 2026 by Bethany Wilinski
How i learned that less can be more
I don’t have a green thumb. In fact, I’ve historically been pretty good at killing any plants that happened to make their way into my house. It’s not that I neglect plants—over-watering is my downfall. I’m so nervous about my inability to keep plants alive that I overdo it. My zeal leads to root rot and puddles of water on my counter and windowsills.
About a year ago, I decided I wanted to try to grow something. I figured there had to be a hack or some sort of foolproof way to grow houseplants. An online search led me to these self-watering pots. You simply fill a reservoir at the bottom of the pot and two small strings inside the pot bring water up from the reservoir and into the soil.
Given my track record with plants, I was willing to try, but I was also skeptical: Would those small wicks inside the pot really bring enough water up to the plant to sustain its growth? It just didn’t seem like enough.
Now, my husband jokes that our living room has turned into a jungle. My plants, no longer in danger of drowning, are thriving. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I’m pretty proud of myself.
The fact that my plants are thriving is counterintuitive to me. By giving them less, they grew more. Once I stopped flooding the soil and began to trust the process, they took off.
My living room plants are a good metaphor for building a thriving and sustainable career. It’s so easy to get caught up in the idea that you need to do more, more, more in order to be successful or reach the next career milestone. Yet often, when we focus only on doing more and more, we find ourselves drowning, pulled in so many directions that it’s impossible to make progress on any one project.
What would it look like to do less? If you slowed down and narrowed your focus, might you actually do more? Would you, like my plants, find yourself thriving if you stopped overdoing it?
My sabbatical inspired me to give this a try. It started when I cleared the decks before my sabbatical. I paused or ended projects and collaborations that I had taken on out of guilt or obligation and decided I was going to lean into only the ones that I really cared about. When I narrowed my focus, I began enjoying my research more, because I was able to devote the time and energy that my projects deserved.
It’s tempting to go at a frenetic pace in academia. It’s easy to say yes to new projects and collaborations because it’s flattering to be asked or you’d feel guilty for saying no. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that this is a recipe for burnout and overwhelm.
Getting burned out in academia is easy. Overcoming burnout is harder, but it is possible.
If you want to do it, though, you have to get serious about slowing down and prioritizing. Both of these things are easier said than done.
A sabbatical or another time you have a break, like summer, is a great time to reflect on what you’ve been doing and how you want to do things differently, but you can also do this at the beginning of a new semester.
Here are a few prompts to help you identify your priorities for your sabbatical, summer, or semester:
First, picture yourself at the end of your sabbatical, summer, or semester. Respond to the following prompts:
When I imagine myself at the end of this sabbatical/summer/semester, I want to feel…
How is this different than how you currently feel?
I will know this sabbatical/summer/semester was successful if…
Then, complete the following prompts:
During this sabbatical/summer/semester, I will honor my time, energy, and values by…
I will prioritize…
I will let go of…
Finally, make a list of 2-3 priorities for this sabbatical/summer/semester. Identify the priority and note why it matters. Pushing yourself to articulate why your priorities matter will help you identify the projects that are not actually priorities.
Once you’ve identified the priorities that will help you achieve the feeling you want for your sabbatical/summer/semester, experiment with planning your time around your priorities and saying no to other opportunities that take your energy and focus away from them.
Looking for more?
If you’ve found this exercise helpful and you’re looking for support in planning your summer or your sabbatical, I encourage you to check out my programs. The Summer Reset is for you if you need to create a summer that balances rest and productivity. Reignite: Your Life-Changing Sabbatical is for you if you’re looking for a sabbatical plan that helps you overcome burnout and leaves you rested and ready for what’s next in your career. I can’t wait to connect!