Leap Before You Look: Advice to Doctoral Students

Contrary to the old adage “look before you leap” is the sage advice of a friend and colleague from over twenty years ago. At that time, he was an established faculty member and I was a rookie faculty member still writing my dissertation.
 
One day he tracked me down and asked if I had anything I would like to publish. He was an editor of a journal tasked with finding a few more submissions, and he was doing me a favor by giving me an opportunity to get published.
 
I was working crazy hours preparing lectures, grading papers, administering a program, not to mention writing a dissertation, being a husband and father, part-time pastoring a church, and doing home renovations. My initial response to my colleague was to decline the offer. 
 
I expected him to understand my busyness. His reaction was unexpected.

He looked at me and said something to the effect that I should never (or rarely) turn down an offer – especially as a rookie – for opportunities are hard to come by. In fact, he suggested his offer was an opportunity that comes by once…and after that any offers were off the table.
 
I quickly pivoted and accepted the offer.
 
And it was a good decision. I stayed up later, worked harder, became even more efficient with time management, adjusted some responsibilities, and got the article published. And I was glad I did.
 
Over twenty years later his sage advice still rings true. In fact, I have followed the “leap before you look” principle much of my faculty career. Yes, now that I am not a rookie, I can be more selective. But my instinct is to jump at most opportunities, knowing that they can quickly become few and far between, and can even dry up. I take little for granted, and see opportunities for lectures, conference papers, and publications as unique privileges that I would have only dreamed of in my earliest years as a PhD student.
 
So, my advice to my doctoral students is to leap at every opportunity open to them. Take everything offered, get published, give a lecture, present papers, gain experience, build a cv, and demonstrate prowess. Be known as the person to go to when something needs to get done.
 
Of course, generally speaking it is wise to look before you leap, for there is a time and place to say no (especially if your hobby is mountain climbing). Faith, family, and health are important aspects of a Christian scholar, and there are times when those matters dictate passing on an opportunity.
 
But be careful saying no, especially in those early years of starting a vocation as an academic. As strange as it may sound, one of the best lessons I learned in my earliest days was “leap before you look.”