A note to self

I'm lucky enough to be working in my dream job. Yet, in the last few weeks, I've become a little disillusioned about what it takes to succeed in academia. Like any other profession, it helps to be strategic, to network, and to schmooze with the right people. A friend/colleague of mine is great at playing the game. I think he will go far. By contrast, I am not at all interested in getting caught up in the political wrangles. I want to be able to do my job and do it well, and I want to be able to maintain a healthy work/life balance. I want to develop and maintain genuine relationships with colleagues that are based on mutual respect. I dont ever want to make my way to the top by clambering on others. At the end of the day, I hope I can look back with my integrity intact. I can't imagine anyone aspiring to be an arsehole but boy, am I starting to see a lot of them about.