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40 Learn to say 'no' As a new faculty member, you're expected to say "Yes" whether it's to join a committee, give a lecture or use your experimental skills to help someone out. But you can't do everything and please everyone, especially at this stage of your career. Deciding between a "Yes" or a "No" answer depends on the goals you have set for yourself and on the ever-increasing demands of your time. Know that it's OK to say "No" if a request doesn't fall into your important and urgent criteria. Determine your teaching hours Teaching is very time consuming since it requires time to prepare, give lectures and grade tests. Thus, it requires organization. Start by discussing with your department chair in advance how many courses you'll be required to teach each year and how many hours it will take per week. This is important so you can plan how to balance teaching, research and other responsibilities. Dedicate a specific time each day to prepare your classes. It will serve as a basic framework for the upcoming years. Create blocks of uninterrupted time Setting aside scheduled time each day or week is a good practice that allows you to dedicate time for your most important activities, be it keeping up with the literature, writing or thinking. Go one step further and let your team know that this time is off limits. It sets expectations that you will be inaccessible at predictable times. Know when your brain power is strongest Some of us may be at our best for a two-hour window in the morning, while others a er lunch. Determine your best cognitive hours and set them aside for those tasks that need the most concentration like reading, writing or designing experiments.