Four steps to becoming a successful researcher: Define success (or what does life look like in 5 years). Work backwards to today – what does each year imply about the year before it? Create a detailed plan for the next 12 months. Revisit the plan weekly and revise the plan every 3 to 12 months. […]
A Checklist for Researchers Using Twitter
Six simple tips for making the most of Twitter: Check it. Follow interesting accounts. Like stuff. Share stuff. Create content. Help people. Transcript: Hi there rockstars, writers, and bakers! Here’s a quick 6-point checklist for your Twitter. Just to make sure you’re on point with your Twitter account. The first one is to make sure that you’re regularly checking […]
You Should Be Making Slow Gains
So much of research is measured by short term goals – grants, papers, and presentations – when longer term outcomes are the real target – cures, change, and improvements. So, instead of chasing short term goals, aim for slow (but regular) gains. Start reading 5 minutes a workday, then increase it by a minute a […]
Podcasts I Listen to (and Why)
We’re all listening to podcasts now. However, it is mainly for entertainment. Yet, podcasts exist on many different topics. So, if you’re thinking about a career change, or upskilling, or retraining – find some related podcasts. Have a listen. You might learn something new and save yourself time or hassle in the process. And, if […]
Instagram Accounts I Follow (and Why)
There are many reasons you might follow an Instagram (or any social media) account. Here are three that I use: Learn about life. Learn about using social media in new, better or different ways. Help people. Transcript: One of the things that I think we don’t do well as researchers is make conscious decisions about […]
Living Your Priorities
Six steps to living your priorities: Determine the period of time you’ll focus on. Schedule deadlines. Schedule ideal delivery dates. Allocate time to your ideal work at the ideal time for you. Know your measures of success. Plan your celebration/reward. Transcript: Hi there riders, bakers, and rock stars! Depending on your age and status in terms […]
Using LinkedIn (As an Academic)
If you’re not sure how to use LinkedIn, perhaps think of it as a research conference. Be active – Talk to people, share content. Talk about what you liked. Talk about what you learned. Get notified – About what is going on. Don’t miss dates or miss chances to share content. Build you profile – […]
On Having Non-Work Time
Academics, scientists, researchers – all LOVE their job. In many cases the love drives the work. This means it can take up the time allotted to it. But, if you ask me, that’s the reason why you struggle so much with negative feedback. Your entire life, your sense of self is all bound up in […]
Six Lessons I’ve Learned Helping Researchers with Social Media
Six lessons I have learned helping others with social media: Time – It takes time to build your social media muscle. There’s no substitute for hours on the platform. There’s no substitute for being on the platform for many years. Know your audience – Knowing who you want as a follower as well as who […]
Fifteen Posts to Help Promote Your Next Journal Article
If you want your work to be read, downloaded, and cited, you MUST promote it. So, what are some of the best ways you’ve seen an academic share their research work on social media? Here are 15 ideas from me… Transcript: Too often the social media posts that I see promoting research articles are basically, “Here’s an […]