There is no one clear path to scholarly success. A productive scholar might be raised by academic parents, or not; might have previously been an educator, or not; might have had a postdoctoral experience, or not; might be in a writing group, or not; might work extreme hours, or not; might be married to another academic, or not … Still, productive scholars share common means for finding their pathways to scholarly success, including curiosity, risk-taking, discovering one’s element, accumulating advantages, offsetting structural disadvantages, and keeping scholarly activities on one’s mind. Curiosity and risk taking help move scholars away from tired, well-worn topics toward the investigation of innovative and important topics, where they discover their element, carve out a unique research agenda, and make a name for themselves. Budding scholars seek advantages, such as research-rich institutions and influential mentors, that multiply and accumulate, smoothing the pathway to scholarly success. Some productive scholars face potentially debilitating structural barriers that could block their path but find ways to rise above the barriers and succeed regardless. Pathways to success are long, and productive scholars stay the course by keeping their scholarly work foremost on their minds.

The Skidegate dialect of the Haida, an Indigenous Nation on the West Coast of Canada, has a phrase for “staying curious.” Gina gii Giixan aanagung means “to look around with curiosity and intent.” This Haida concept holds more than curiosity; it conveys the idea of staying observant with the world on purpose. It suggests an active stance. Staying curious by asking questions, paying attention, and learning new things takes energy and action.

The Stay Curious and Adjust Decision-Maker Move is about decision makers being in a learning relationship with their choices, actively seeking to uncover and learn from new information based on their own lives and experiences as well as the conversations they have with others. It’s a recognition that many choices are repeated (with minor changes), so there are ample opportunities for self-learning and making adjustments.

This chapter explores some of the main concepts connected to mindfulness by covering key terms and ways of being mindful. Readers are introduced to Western research into mindfulness, such as self-compassion, and are invited to explore formal and informal mindfulness practices.