Diary of a Wimpy Academic - Thought 7 of the Humility Challenge: When Failure Hits, Choose Light
I recently read a post by Doan Winkel that deeply resonated with me. It was about tenure denial, rejection, and the pivotal choice we face when failure knocks on our door. We can either let bitterness and negativity take root, or we can lean into resilience, growth, and finding light in the darkest moments.
As academics, we often measure success through rigid metrics—tenure, publications, grants, titles. But the truth is, these metrics don’t capture the full story of impact. Rejection is part of the academic journey, and it’s how we respond to it that defines us.
Failures have shaped my career too. Denied promotions multiple times, rejected papers, missed funding opportunities, and moments of doubt when the imposter syndrome feels overwhelming. I’ve faced my share of "no’s" that stung deeply. But each setback became a lesson. I learned to pause, reflect, and ask myself: What now?
Failure taught me three things I try to live by:
✅ Your worth isn’t defined by someone else’s checklist.
Committees, reviewers, or funding bodies don’t see the whole picture of your work, your vision, or your value. And that’s okay.
✅ Impact goes beyond the traditional.
Inspiring students, mentoring others, and collaborating on projects that truly matter bring more meaning to my work than metrics ever will.
✅ Resilience is built in the quiet moments.
It’s in the long walks after a rejection email. In the conversations with colleagues who remind you of your strengths. In the decision to wake up the next day and try again.
To my fellow academics, let’s normalize talking about failure—not as a badge of honor, but as part of the process. Let’s celebrate the pivots, the detours, and the light we find on the other side of struggle.
What about you? What’s one “failure” that transformed your path in surprising ways?
hashtag#DiaryOfAWimpyAcademic hashtag#HumilityChallenge hashtag#AcademicResilience hashtag#FailureToSuccess hashtag#GrowthMindsetInAcademia
Photo of me with my fourth and youngest child at a dark time of rejections of my life, but i chose to see the light and didnot lose the smile.
I recently read a post by Doan Winkel that deeply resonated with me. It was about tenure denial, rejection, and the pivotal choice we face when failure knocks on our door. We can either let bitterness and negativity take root, or we can lean into resilience, growth, and finding light in the darkest moments.
As academics, we often measure success through rigid metrics—tenure, publications, grants, titles. But the truth is, these metrics don’t capture the full story of impact. Rejection is part of the academic journey, and it’s how we respond to it that defines us.
Failures have shaped my career too. Denied promotions multiple times, rejected papers, missed funding opportunities, and moments of doubt when the imposter syndrome feels overwhelming. I’ve faced my share of "no’s" that stung deeply. But each setback became a lesson. I learned to pause, reflect, and ask myself: What now?
Failure taught me three things I try to live by:
✅ Your worth isn’t defined by someone else’s checklist.
Committees, reviewers, or funding bodies don’t see the whole picture of your work, your vision, or your value. And that’s okay.
✅ Impact goes beyond the traditional.
Inspiring students, mentoring others, and collaborating on projects that truly matter bring more meaning to my work than metrics ever will.
✅ Resilience is built in the quiet moments.
It’s in the long walks after a rejection email. In the conversations with colleagues who remind you of your strengths. In the decision to wake up the next day and try again.
To my fellow academics, let’s normalize talking about failure—not as a badge of honor, but as part of the process. Let’s celebrate the pivots, the detours, and the light we find on the other side of struggle.
What about you? What’s one “failure” that transformed your path in surprising ways?
hashtag#DiaryOfAWimpyAcademic hashtag#HumilityChallenge hashtag#AcademicResilience hashtag#FailureToSuccess hashtag#GrowthMindsetInAcademia
Photo of me with my fourth and youngest child at a dark time of rejections of my life, but i chose to see the light and didnot lose the smile.
