Welcome to this pursuit of lost time
What is the main obstacle to success—in your research, your career, or your life in general? Rather than skill, motivation, or fortune, the main obstacle is often time. People are frequently inundated with too many demands, responsibilities, and distractions to complete their tasks and to develop the capabilities they need to thrive. This program is designed to help you extend your skills and achieve your goals as efficiently as possible. After you complete your program, you will be able to
- work more productively
- apply successfully to secure jobs, grants, and other opportunities
- develop more stable, helpful friendships and networks
- influence other people and communities more effectively
- manage your projects and other individuals better
- experience more positive emotions and resilience
- maintain a healthier lifestyle
The following table outlines the principles this program applies to help you operate more efficiently
| Principle | Detail |
|---|---|
| Multiple benefits | Most of the recommendations are designed to help you achieve more than one goal at a time. |
| Unintuitive insights | Most of the recommendations are not intuitive—and thus tend to diverge from the existing practices of research candidates. In contrast, some programs recommend practices that many people utilise anyway |
| Uplifting practices | Most of the recommendations tend to invigorate, rather than deplete, your enthusiasm and motivation, enabling you to complete more tasks without the risk of burnout or exhaustion |
| Durable benefits | Most of the recommendations generate lasting benefits, diminishing the likelihood you will need to repeat some task or activity in the future |
| Customised to your priorities | Most of the recommendations are customised to accommodate your needs and values—rather than impose practices that deviate from your priorities. |
| Cooperative practices | Some of the recommendations may help you collaborate effectively with other people, teams, or communities—a key source of efficiency |
Activities
This program comprises many bundles of activities. You should attempt each bundle of activities in the sequence in which they appear and record your answers in the attached Working Document. You should at least start, even if you do not complete, each activity before you shift to the next activity. You could
- dedicate a block of two to four weeks to this entire program
- dedicate between two and four hours a week to this program, but over a longer period