Getting Things Done! Time Management For Scientists

This workshop is for PhD students and early career academics who want to apply laser-like focus to their work.

The researcher’s work environment demands a high level of self-direction, agility, and creativity. PhD students and early career academics have to manage long and complex projects without the many externally set structures, benchmarks, and clearly defined working hours common in other workplaces.

In this workshop, participants will learn first to understand your unique work process and individual strengths and challenges. From there, we’ll learn and apply tactics to cultivate sustained levels of focus, which will help you gain more control over your day-to-day and in turn, increase your productivity.

Time management is not a new concept, but this workshop doesn’t focus on the oft-repeated tips for hacking time. Instead, we will take you through a process of understanding yourselves and the hidden distractions, non-value-adding habits, and limiting beliefs that are ingrained in your daily routines. This powerful reflection on individual habits, beliefs, and processes sets participants up for a series of tactical exercises to help you manage your time, energy, and attention within your own unique context.

At the end of the workshop, participants will have a deep understanding of how you work and learn, and you will be armed with the tools and mindset to optimize your workflow, course-correct when necessary, and move forward with momentum and ease.

Learning Outcomes:

Over the course of this workshop, participants will:

Learn to define your goals in terms of well-being and productivity.
Learn to identify and manage your unique personal and situational obstacles toward those goals.
Be able to identify where you need stronger boundaries and how to create and enforce boundaries in a positive, productive way.
Understand the concept of "energy management" and how this framework can help achieve productivity and well-being goals.
Create structures and habits (such as plans, deadlines, and a cadence of accountability) that will help you meet your goals.
Learn concrete strategies that will help you prioritize, overcome procrastination and maintain motivation.