Defining your North Star—the long-term vision for your research—is one thing. Actually aligning your daily work with it? That’s where things get tricky.

Most researchers don’t realize just how misaligned their time and commitments are until they take a hard look at where their energy is going. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

In this episode, we’re digging into the next step after defining your North Star: assessing your commitments, making strategic choices about where to focus, and figuring out how to exit the work that’s pulling you off track.

Tune in to hear:

• Why so many researchers say yes for the wrong reasons—and how to shift your mindset.

• How to audit your current responsibilities and identify what’s actually moving you forward.

• What to do when you’ve committed to something that no longer fits your priorities.

• The role of clear communication in protecting your time—and how to make it easier to say no.

• Why this work doesn’t happen overnight and how to start making gradual shifts.

Join me in this episode as we talk about how to get honest about where your time is going, make decisions that serve your long-term vision, and protect your capacity for the work that only you can do.