Head Space

Calm productivity for academics

Category: Main Topic

  • [Note] Curiosity is a compass

    “There’s a kind of excited curiosity that’s both the engine and the rudder of great work. It will not only drive you, but if you let it have its way, will also show you what to work on. What are you excessively curious about — curious to a degree that would bore most other people?”…

  • Annie Duke (2023) Quit

    Annie Duke’s “Quit” provides essential tools for academics who face intense pressure to persist despite diminishing returns. Her research-backed frameworks offer systematic approaches to complex decisions about research directions, career transitions, and resource allocation that typically rely on intuition or cultural pressure. The book’s combination of cognitive psychology research and practical application makes it particularly…

  • [Note] When a draft is completed, the job of writing can begin

    “When students complete a first draft, they consider the job of writing done – and their teachers too often agree. When professional writers complete a first draft, they usually feel that they are at the start of the writing process. When a draft is completed, the job of writing can begin.” – Donald Murray

  • Walking meetings: A simple shift for busy academics

    Steve Jobs famously conducted important business discussions whilst walking around Apple’s campus, noting that that movement changes how we think. For busy academics struggling to find time for exercise and meaningful work, walking meetings offer an elegant solution that addresses multiple challenges simultaneously.

  • [Note] Turn your attention from inputs to outputs

    “turn your attention from inputs to outputs. Identify the most valuable thing you do in your job, and then figure out what actually helps you do it better. This is what you should focus on.” – Cal Newport

  • Deranged pleasure of email management

    There’s something deeply, almost embarrassingly pleasurable about declaring an entire day dedicated to email management. The unsubscribing, the brutal deletion, the methodical filing of correspondence that’s been lurking for months. It’s the kind of day where you roll up your sleeves and prepare to wrestle your inbox into submission.

  • [Note] Good writing is essentially rewriting

    “Most readers underestimate the amount of rewriting it usually takes to produce spontaneous reading. Roald Dahl, the popular children’s writer, states, “By the time I’m nearing the end of a story, the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least 150 times…Good writing is essentially rewriting.” – Donald Murray

  • Cultivating gratitude in academia

    Academic culture often overlooks the collaborative support behind scholarly achievements, from peer reviewers to administrative staff. The myth of the solitary scholar masks how scholarship actually works through networks of assistance. Expressing gratitude strengthens academic communities, creates positive feedback loops, and counters competitive isolation. Simple practices like maintaining acknowledgement folders and scheduling reflection time can…

  • [Note] Treat perfection like a process

    “Treat perfection like a process, not an achievable state. Perfectionism is crippling to productivity. I’ve known academics that can’t even start projects because of perfectionism.” – Matt Might

  • [Note] Specify concrete actions

    “Your goal, for example, shouldn’t be to get your next academic paper accepted into a better journal, as it doesn’t specify a concrete action you can schedule and execute. A better approach might be to focus on banking 15 hours of deep work on your paper per week: this you can control, and it’s likely…

  • Presenting research without over-reaching

    Academic presentations often suffer from overstated claims that undermine credibility rather than strengthen impact. Effective presentations acknowledge limitations whilst clearly articulating specific contributions. Using precise, qualified language and positioning work within proper scope demonstrates scholarly integrity. This balanced approach—presenting genuine strengths without exaggeration—typically earns more respect than grand claims and allows colleagues to recognise broader…

  • [Note] Start immediately

    “Once you know you’re going to do something, start on it right away: create a blank document file, create a blank presentation file, start drafting the email (with To: field blank). Then, if at any point in the future, you’re moved to work on it, the transaction cost of doing a little more work is…