Head Space

Calm productivity for academics

Tag: focus

  • Building academic momentum: Why rhythm beats volume

    Building academic momentum isn’t about working longer hours or multitasking. It’s about finding your natural rhythm and maintaining steady progress. Learn how to move beyond busy-ness to create sustainable patterns of meaningful academic work through practical steps like protecting creative space and leaving intentional re-entry points.

  • Use AI to focus on meaningful core work

    New research shows how AI tools might transform academic productivity by enabling knowledge workers to focus more on meaningful core work while reducing administrative burden. Like software developers using GitHub Copilot, academics can leverage AI to streamline workflows, work more autonomously, and explore new research directions – particularly benefiting early-career researchers.

  • Leverage your peak productivity hours

    You only have 3-4 hours of peak cognitive productivity per day. Identify when you feel most focused and protect that time for demanding tasks. Batch easier activities during lower energy periods. Tracking energy levels, prioritising tasks, creating routines, taking breaks, and guarding peak times can help maximise your limited productive hours.

  • Less is more: Doing fewer things, better

    Sometimes the key to unlocking your full potential lies in the art of subtraction – doing less, but with a focused intensity. By focusing your energy on the work that truly matters, you’ll find yourself operating with greater clarity, intentionality, and impact. You’ll have the mental space to dive deep into your research, explore complex…

  • Saying no in academia: A guide to protecting your time and focus

    Academic life thrives on collaboration and contribution, but constant invitations to participate in new projects can quickly become overwhelming. Learn how mastering the art of saying no in academia isn’t about disinterest, but about strategic self-care and intentionality that allows you to contribute meaningfully on your own terms.

  • [Note] Write what the reader wants

    “Great writing requires you to position your idea in a way that will resonate with the reader. Average writers start with what they want to say without considering how it will land with the reader. Great writers understand the journey starts with what the reader desires.” – Farnam Street

  • [Note] Learning something new is difficult

    “Learning a new city and institution requires a lot of effort and puts a lot of cumulative strain on our brains. Our brains are forced to create new patterns of familiarity by the simple act of navigating a new learning management system or new city. Those small tasks add up quickly. When setting research and…

  • Managing academic reading lists

    Managing academic reading lists can feel overwhelming. Rather than trying to read everything, treat your reading list like a river – selectively sampling valuable content while letting less important items flow past. This mindset shift helps create a more sustainable and effective approach to managing academic literature without the guilt.

  • [Note] The laziest thing I can do at any moment is what I should be doing

    “I try to make sure that the laziest thing I can do at any moment is what I should be doing.” – Matt Might

  • Lean Coffee meetings

    Lean Coffee meetings help create clarity of purpose in your meetings, boosting productivity and focus. Previously, I’ve talked about how meetings should enhance your productivity, not impede it. And I gave a few suggestions that might help to think differently about the need for meetings in the first place. But let’s say the meeting is…

  • [Note] When information is cheap, attention becomes expensive

    “When information is cheap, attention becomes expensive.” – James Gleick

  • Oliver Burkeman: Four thousand weeks

    In Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burkeman reframes time management, focusing on our 4,000-week lifespan to challenge the relentless pursuit of productivity. Burkeman’s insights encourage readers to embrace limits, focus on meaningful work, and find satisfaction in life’s finite nature, offering a refreshing perspective for today’s overwhelmed professionals.