Head Space

Calm productivity for academics

No longer active

This site is now an archive of my previous work. I have moved all my ongoing writing to https://michael-rowe.github.io/home-michael/

Category: Building Momentum

  • Non-academic AI prompts to build confidence and experience

    Discover how non-academic AI prompts can help you explore generative artificial intelligence without the pressure of academic concerns. From student wellness planning to life skills development, these practical examples show how to build confidence with AI tools while avoiding worries about plagiarism and academic integrity.

  • Getting started with generative AI

    Getting started with generative AI is as simple as setting aside a few hours for experimenting with the technology. This will help identify what it’s good at, and where it fails. In this post I share a few simple ideas and prompts to help anyone interested in getting started with generative AI.

  • Transform your workday with fixed schedule productivity

    Discover how fixed schedule productivity can transform your academic workday. By deciding your end time first and working backwards, you can better manage your workload and maintain work-life boundaries. Explore practical strategies to ensure that you finish work on time without sacrificing output.

  • Types of notes

    Knowing about the different types of notes you’re taking helps inform your approach to note-taking in general.

  • The first draft isn’t the final product

    It’s worth noting that the first draft isn’t the final product. It’s the raw material you’ll shape into something better.

  • Writing generates writing

    Writing generates writing. Even if most of the early drafts end up getting deleted, you probably needed to write them to stimulate the thinking that was necessary to get to the final version.

  • Writing related activities also count as writing

    Discover why writing related activities like reading, annotating, editing, and organising are crucial parts of the writing process. Embracing these tasks can help you maintain steady progress on your academic projects, even when you’re not in the right frame of mind for generating new content.

  • Set EASY goals

    Everyone knows about SMART goals, but what about EASY goals? EASY goals are Energising, give you Agency, are Small enough to reasonably achieve, and are personal to You. Energising: When a goal truly resonates with you, it creates an immediate spark of motivation. It’s the kind of goal that has you thinking about it throughout…

  • Use the time between meetings

    Use the time between meetings to make notes, schedule follow-ups, and list the tasks that are your responsibility to complete.

  • Write a bad first draft

    Why are bad first drafts essential for academic writing? Discover why embracing imperfect early writing can actually improve your scholarly work. Learn practical strategies for overcoming the perfectionism that keeps many academics stuck in endless preparation instead of making real progress on their writing.

  • Academic life is more than email

    There is more to academic life than email, grant applications, and article rejections. Part of your work could include having coffee with interesting people, recording podcasts, and going on international holi…I mean, conferences.

  • Prioritising tasks with the Eisenhower matrix

    The Eisenhower matrix helps with prioritising tasks by helping to make decision about which tasks are important and which are urgent.