

Educators are pulled in many directions at once, facing teaching, research, and committee obligations as well as that ever-growing list of unanswered emails.
In this constant clutter of activity, we might begin to wonder, are we making the best use of our time? Clearly, we need to develop strategies and habits to open up some “space” in our lives, in which we can reflect, consider the long term, and focus our energy on leaving our legacy.
In this two-part workshop with optional coaching, you will learn twelve steps to strategically plan what you do and do what you plan—and take control of your time and your life.
THE 12 STEPS
Work on the Most Important Tasks
1. Write your mission statement.
2. Write SMART goals.
3. Differentiate the urgent from the important.
4. Put first things first.
5. Make a weekly rank-ordered “to do” list.
6. Make a weekly work plan.
Work Efficiently on Tasks
7. Wrestle your email to the ground.
8. Work on big tasks in small increments.
Work Less Hard on Less Important Tasks
9. Tone down your perfectionism.
10. Procrastinate consciously.
Do Not Work on Certain Less Important Tasks
11. Delegate: Do only that which only you can do.
12. Just say, “No.”
About Coaching
Coaching takes place a week after the workshops, which gives you time to apply the steps to your weekly workflow and share your discoveries with two other participants and the workshop leader(s). These powerful coaching sessions provide the accountability, structure, and momentum to help your plans become permanent.
What Participants Say
About the workshop
Instantly life-changing.
I can now stop wishing there were 36 hours in a day.
Go. Cross out two hours from your day because long term it will save you exponentially.
I have three very specific and exciting things I will be doing to revolutionize my personal and professional life.
About coaching
Both Tara and Brian are so supportive and relatable. They are awesome and make you feel like you CAN DO IT!! Thanks for being two of my new heroes! :-)
This coaching takes the cake for usefulness, practicality, and immediate application!
Training without coaching is like a good dinner without a dessert!
Workshop Co-Leader

Brian Hampton serves as a tenured professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at New Mexico State University. He teaches and mentors graduate- and undergraduate- student research projects. Brian has published 25 manuscripts and has received several college-level awards for teaching. To date, he has graduated 20 students from his lab, all of whom have gone on to careers in the geological sciences.
Domestic Fee Schedule
With Textbook and Academic Authors Co-Sponsorship
Textbook and Academic Authors (TAA) will co-sponsor a limited number of virtual workshops for faculty anywhere in the 50 United States. With TAA co-sponsorship, the fee to the hosting institution is $2,000 for two 2-hour workshops.
The fee for optional coaching for groups of three participants is $75 per participant.
TAA will handle registration, providing one registration link to collect the information that will be used to deliver the workshop login details and a TAA membership.
TAA will provide publicity to promote the events and memberships together.
TAA prefers to reach as many scholars as possible so we prefer all-campus workshops with all-campus publicity.
TAA is a non-profit, 501c(3) devoted to helping textbook and academic authors thrive. For more information on TAA and the resources available through membership visit TAAonline.net.
International Fee Schedule
Without Textbook and Academic Authors Co-Sponsorship
For international workshops or domestic workshops without TAA co-sponsorship, the fee for Leave Your Legacy is US$3,000 plus the fee for optional coaching ($75/participant coached, with three participants per group and one or two workshop leaders).