The Simple Strategy I Use to Stay On Top of My Research Pipeline

Jun 18, 2025

If you’re juggling multiple research projects and don’t know where to focus next, this post describes a visual ritual that helped me stop spinning my wheels and start publishing my research predictably.

When I landed my first tenure-track job, I didn’t have any publications.

Yup, you read that right: zero publications.

I consider it a win to be able to start a post by shining a light on this part of my academic journey because I was utterly mortified about my lack of research productivity for a really long time. Back then, I spent a lot of time hiding because I couldn’t seem to figure out the publishing game and it made me feel unworthy.

I know now that was a ridiculous thought. But it was how I felt at the time, so I’m being completely transparent with you, work friend.

Let me be clear: I had good ideas—lots of them—but no clear system for moving them out of my head into a publishable form.

And it wasn’t for lack of trying.

I attended all the professional development panels—hell, I even hosted a few.

I took detailed notes at “Meet the Editors” panels hosted for early-career scholars at conferences and in departmental workshops for graduate students.

Still, I struggled with shaping my research ideas into something that would be seen, understood, and taken seriously in my field.

For most of my time in graduate school, I felt like I had missed the meetings that everyone else was attending because I was spending so much time trying to identify what was expected, decode instructions about how to do what was expected—and finally, when I was already completely exhausted, do the thing that was expected.

On top of that, most academic rituals felt odd to me, so I spent whatever time I had left, feeling an unhealthy level of stress, loneliness, and anxiety.

I feel less ashamed to share my story these days because I am now a tenured faculty member (spoiler alert: I did eventually figure it out).

And because I now know my experience is pretty common.

If you’re reading this and feeling something in your belly because it resonates, you know this struggle isn’t due to a lack of ambition. Instead, it’s likely that pesky hidden curriculum of publishing and learning to decode it while navigating academia.

Let me say this boldly and unequivocally: Academia is really freaking hard to navigate if you are the first person in your family to forge the path. I’m (*you’re*) not the problem.

Still, we are forced to figure it out.

This post is sharing a research ritual I created that helped me get unstuck, publish regularly, and earn tenure. It’s now one of the foundational practices inside Faculty Writing Rituals Unlocked—my group program for building sustainable research momentum with less stress and more rhythm.

I call it my Research Vision Board—a simple, analog system that helps me track multiple projects at once without losing momentum or my mind.

Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash

It isn’t fancy. But it changed everything.

There are several other habits, rituals, and systems I have created to navigate the hidden curriculum of academic publishing—many of which I now teach in Faculty Writing Rituals Unlocked, the group course I’m launching next month for writers who want to claim last minute summer wins before the new semester begins.

But for now, I want to start with this low-lift, easy-to-implement, and (dare I say it, fun) exercise I created because it is really helpful for identifying bottlenecks in your research process—signals that can guide adjustments to your writing system, work structure, or professional development goals.

I know, I know: I’m getting to the point so you benefit from the process I’ve created.

What The Research Vision Board Process Looks Like

Each semester, I write (or revise) the abstracts for 4–6 of my current or upcoming projects.

Then I take out a small stack of color-coded Post-It Notes and label each abstract with its current stage:

Ideation
Data Collection
Data Cleaning & Analysis
Writing
Full Draft
Under Review
Revise & Resubmit
Accepted

I pin it all—abstracts and sticky notes—onto a foam board above my desk.

That’s it.
That’s the ritual.

Why It Works

By making my projects visible, I stop carrying the entire pipeline in my head and start making clearer, calmer decisions about where to focus.

When I feel scattered, I don’t waste time trying to figure out what to do. Instead, I look up from the seat of my desk and ask myself: what’s a small win I can achieve today?

Then I get after it.

It even sparks conversation.

I keep my Research Vision Board in my campus office, and over the years, it’s sparked countless conversations. When people come into my office to ask a question or to discuss something, their eyes almost always catch the board, and they ask questions. These conversations have led to book and article recommendations, feedback, invitations to collaborate, and support I didn’t know I needed.

It helps me set daily, weekly, and monthly writing goals that keep my research moving forward.

I’m big on strategic planning every week and at the beginning (and end) of each semester. My Research Vision Board serves as a roadmap and compass, helping me create realistic goals and avoid the summer binge-writing and nagging guilt that stems from a perceived lack of productivity. This visual practice became the foundation for the semester-long planning system I now teach in Faculty Writing Rituals Unlocked—a values-aligned program designed for faculty who want to write with more rhythm and less burnout.

What I learned: when my vision board goes up, my semester plan falls into place.

And as it turns out, this isn’t just anecdotal.

🧠 According to research from the American Psychological Association, tracking your progress publicly or physically increases individuals’ likelihood of achieving goals because it nudges them to monitor their progress and pivot accordingly.

In other words, your Research Vision Board helps you get unstuck.

An Important Caveat

This ritual won’t make academia less chaotic. But it will make you feel more in control of your process.

It will help you identify whether your research pipeline bottlenecks are related to your writing planning, goals, or systems. Moreover, it will help you better manage your research and writing energy during the semester. Is it an intense grading week? Pick a project with tasks that require less cognitive energy and still move your research forward during the most stressful part of the semester.

Notes From A Work Friend™

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