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Inspiring view of an ideal place for a sientific writing retreat

Get it done

2-day online academic writing retreat to focus and write your scientific work

 MAY 2025, 14-15, 2024

147 € (+VAT)

What gets scheduled, gets done

Parkinson’s Law states that work takes as long as you give it to take.

 

For example, you have two weeks to hit a deadline. In most scenarios, we can assume you’ll be turning it in on Day 14. 

 

But what if there’s no deadline? 

 

What if there’s work that needs to be done, but no expectations on when?

 

Does it ever get done? 

 

Or does it continuously get pushed down on the task list? Replaced with more pressing needs and looming deadlines?

 

When it comes to our writing, like…

 

Starting that scientific paper that you never have time for

Finishing that article from your last job that lives daily in your head

Revising that manuscript that was rejected and feels so hard to back to

Drafting the grant proposal you know you need to write!
 

It often gets pushed to the side. While you know it’s important to let the world know what you’ve found and to advance your career, there are just so many other things that must be done now. All of them urgent: emails from collaborators, theses and experiments from students, and all those other papers and grants where you are in but that are not your priority.
 

So just when we think we might have time in the afternoon to work on that paper, someone or something comes along to interrupt. 

 

And that paper just sits there.

 

So while Parkinson’s Law isn’t technically a law, why not put it to the test? 

 

If work takes as long as you give it to take… pick something to work on and attend...

The research shows...

Writing is necessary to hitting your goals.

 

And I know you have big goals. You wouldn’t be where you are today if you didn’t. 

 

Your heart is big, too. You care deeply about your family, your students, your peers, the planet…

 

While helping all those groups put out fires all day long may seem like the thing you need to be doing...what would really help them (and you) is to give yourself the gift of done. 

 

To focus + finish your writing will help you...

 

1- communicate your results to the world

2- get you money (either for your next grant or next job!)

3- feel confident with your work and your ability to be productive

 

So that you can truly focus on the things and people you care about.

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Notebook that says Getting things done, the goals of this online academic writing retreat

And when you get the writing done, you’ll become more 

 

  • efficient in your tasks, because that big mental block is gone!

  • confident at work, especially after seeing how much you can get done in 2 days.

  • present at home, no more finishing work after dinner 🙌🏼

 

...knowing that this big task has gone from “makes me anxious but still I still don’t do it” to “holy crap! I did it and now I’m moving in the right direction” 

How this online academic writing retreat works and why it’s effective

Community vibes!

We scientists haven’t exactly figured out why, but we all agree this type of group focus works. (Yes, even online.) When people come together with a common goal to focus and work, productivity soars. 

 

Push past your distractions and finish what needs to be done.

Pomodoro + Time Blocking

Both proven to be highly effective on their own, we’ll couple these time management techniques together to increase efficiency and maximize the amount of writing you’ll get done in just two days.

 

Set a big goal and see big results.

Goal setting

Research has long convinced us that sharing goals increases our likelihood of success. Going beyond that to monitor goal progress in a social setting translates into major action for participants.

 

Both are baked into the retreat to ensure you get things done.

What's inside our online academic writing retreat?

Aside from time to advance your writing, during these two days you’ll also receive:

 

  • 2 masterclasses of 1 hour each around scientific writing, productivity, and mindset

  • Several short mindful activities to help you rest and reset throughout the day (meditation, yoga, breathing…)

  • 2 Q+A group sessions with me to answer questions you have

  • Slack channel where you can get support for anything is blocking you 

  • 2 informal peer-coaching sessions in a small group (you’ll see you’re not alone in your struggles!)

  • PDF retreat guide to help you prepare in advance so you can come in and get started right away

ALLOW YOURSELF TO JUST...

GET IT DONE

A 2-day online academic writing retreat 

Finally carve out the time you need to finish whatever writing you’ve been putting off so you can advance to the next level of your career and research. Because the year is not yet over!

Using proven methods to increase productivity and focus!

Proudly trusted by scholars at
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and many more!
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Lucia Pita

Junior Group Leader at ICM-CSIC

“My biggest win wasn’t my paper. It’s all these tools (pomodoro, free writing, meditation) that I can now bring into my everyday work. I trusted the process, and fell in love with it.” 

Interested?

If you can relate to any of these...

 

  • Feel like your writing is stuck in a drawer but somehow still lives in your head everyday

  • You need hours to finish certain parts of your paper; writing them here and there isn’t going to cut it

  • There seem to be a lot of to-dos you want to cross off but no time

  • Lots of projects started but no time to finish them

  • There’s a lot of guilt, frustration and irritation throughout your day from feeling pulled in all sorts of directions

 

Then I created this scientific writing retreat just for you.

Desk with a laptop, notes and coffee ready for the online scientific writing retreat
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I know you’re being constantly interrupted by other emergencies at work and at home. And I want to help you feel more relaxed, efficient, and satisfied with life and work.

 

This retreat is designed to 

  • Be a simple way to get ahead and lessen the anxiety of feeling constantly behind

  • Give you dedicated time to finish one or several of your writing projects

  • Bring back your confidence around your work and abilities

  • Equip you with strategies to stay calm + motivated for months to come

  • Get that productive feeling back

Here’s how this scientific writing retreat schedule looks like:

Day 1 (Madrid time zone)

8.30-9.30 - Masterclass “How to get your writing done: starting” with mindful activity

9.30-11.30 - First Focus block

11.30-11.50 - Long break to snack and recharge

11.50-13.50 - Second Focus block

13.50-14.30 - Lunch break

14.30-15.00 - Q&A with me

15.00-15.30 - Mindful walk

15.30-17.30 - Third Focus block

Day 2 (Madrid time zone)

8.30-9.30 - Masterclass “How to get your writing done: finishing” with mindful activity

9.30-11.30 - First Focus block

11.30-11.50 - Long break to snack and recharge

11.50-13.50 - Second Focus block

13.50-14.30 - Lunch break

14.30-15.00 - Q&A with me

15.00-15.30 - Office yoga & meditation

15.30-17.00 - Third Focus block: wrap it up! 

17.00-17.30 - Final Q&A and celebration!

Ready to write and get it done?

Desk with a sand clock and the  words online academic writing retreat Get it done

 MAY 14-15, 2025
147  (+VAT)
 

enrol GID
Meet your host...

Hi! I’m Ana.

 

I've taken everything I've learned from more than 15 years doing research and helped more than 100 scientists focus and write so they can feel confident with their work. 

 

From supervising postgraduate students and Ph.D. researchers. collaborating with top researchers in the fields of Ecology and Entomology in Spain and The Netherlands, to simply hosting retreats to help you get your writing done...my greatest work is to see you feel confident and excited about the work you do.

 

I know your priority list is long. And there’s a lot of imposter syndrome going on...trying to write in a foreign language, or succeed in a new position that seems overwhelming (even though it was your dream). 

 

You might simply just feel unable to focus because of endless distractions or exhausted from being a mum and a scientist. 

 

After working with so many scientists over the years, I know writing too often gets pushed down the priority list. It seems hard and sometimes impossible to get to!

But I've learned something crucial: writing and productivity are skills. You can learn them. And when you put them into practice in the right environment...boom! You get things done.

Ana Pineda

Have any questions?

(scientists always do...)

 

I JUST FEEL I'M TOO BUSY FOR THIS

Then coming to this retreat is the best thing you can do! Past attendees could not believe how much they achieved by attending this event. There is no better way to prioritize and finish your writing than blocking the time for it, being surrounded by people focusing, and making a time, energy or money investment. 

 

I'M TIRED OF ZOOM MEETINGS, ANA

Yes, me too. And I’ve designed this scientific writing retreat to minimize our Zoom fatigue. The actual meeting time is only around 3 hours per day. The rest of the time you'll be writing. Sure, we are technically on zoom, but in silence. And if you prefer, you can always turn your camera off (although having it on brings another energy!). And throughout the day, I'll also be available in slack in case you need me!

IS THIS A WRITING OR PRODUCTIVITY COURSE?

No, it is not. I offer two different courses for that with a full curriculum of video lessons and support for several weeks. In this online writing retreat for scientists, you’ll attend two masterclasses where I share some of the content I teach in my courses. But most of the time you’ll be advancing your writing in a supported environment.

IS THIS RETREAT ONLY FOR PH.D. CANDIDATES?

Not at all! The programs of “I focus and write” are mainly designed for early-career scientists at the stage of Ph.D., Postdoc, and early Assistant Professors. But actually this retreat is attracting more senior scientists that just want the space to focus and write!

DO YOU OFFER THIS SCIENTIFIC WRITING RETREAT IN-PERSON?

I can organize it in person for an institution. So if you or your institution are interested, send me an email and we can discuss the details. I'm located in The Netherlands.

 

WHY IS THIS 147€?

When we invest in something, even a small amount, we take it seriously. By putting money down, you are signalling to your brain that this is serious. That you are committed to finishing something that’s important to advance your career. Instead of spending so much mental and emotional energy, why not spend147€ to finish something that otherwise would take you weeks (or months!) because of daily distractions. And still, I recommend you try get this funded by your institution!

CAN I GET MY MONEY BACK?

Nope. You can have a look at the free resources of my web to see the style of what I do here. And if you have any question, just send me an email HERE. But...if you sign up and you cannot attend, I'll give you a voucher for our next retreat or one of my courses.

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