Nathan
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Posts by Nathan
Have a Cuppa
Feb 23rd
Quick thought: on the importance of short breaks
Do I need to say it? Take breaks. Stand up, stretch your legs, stop whatever it is that you’re doing and give yourself permission to get a cup of tea. Or coffee if that’s your preference. Water is good too.
When you stand up and step away from the screen that connects you with the rest of the world, leave a note for yourself – what were you just doing? It’ll help when you sit back down.
On the way to get your drink, think. See what comes in to your mind when you relax a little. If you have colleagues who are up and about as well then say hi. Smile at them. They might smile too. You might just make someone’s day. As a work-from-home type I smile to myself anyway. I sing as I walk down the stairs to the kitchen sometimes (warning: not recommended if you work in an office).I think “What If…?” thoughts and dream dreams.
When I finally get back to my desk and my computer with my cuppa I’ve had more thoughts: more thoughts on what I was doing, more thoughts on what I could be doing, more thoughts on what I want to be doing.
Go on. Have a cuppa.
The Super(visor) Relationship
Feb 21st
In this post: a few thoughts after a workshop on the supervisor relationship from last week
Last week was not all about FYSWs and Valentine’s Day, I also went to Manchester to deliver a workshop on Managing the Supervisor Relationship. It’s a workshop that is always slightly tricky to prepare for, as more often than not the whole workshop pivots on the motivations of the participants who come along.
Workshop Milestone
Feb 20th
In this post: thoughts and pictures from last week’s First Year Skills Workshop
As I sat down to write something made me go back and check my notes from the last few years of work. My suspicions were confirmed: last week I did my 25th First Year Skills Workshop at the University of Liverpool! Where did the time go?
Getting Things (Almost) Done
Feb 9th
Quick thought: almost finished reading GTD, and a cool workshop to make it real
I’ve written a few things recently on my experiences with Getting Things Done; I made it one of my goals to read the book through January, with the aim of hopefully uncovering a few things that would help me get more productive. I have had several projects on the back burner for some time, and was thinking about how I might “make time” to take them forward. As I have read GTD I have been struck by the realisation that the problem is not the amount of time that I have to focus on projects, but how I use my time.
Sources of Inspiration
Feb 3rd
Quick thought: where ideas come from
There are plenty of stories of authors being interviewed and being asked “Where do you get your ideas from?” It often seems like there is an assumption that that person has a special line to Idea Central, or possibly they keep a muse somewhere who whispers in their ear at night. I think that there is also an assumption on the part of the questioner that ideas are really hard to come by, which I think is also wrong: ideas are everywhere, we have them all the time. The two problems are that we very rarely record them (and where we get them from) and we very rarely feel able to act on them.
The Collaborative Researcher
Feb 2nd
In this post: thoughts on my last few days at the Collaborative Researcher, particularly about web presence
It was great to be asked back to facilitate for the second pilot of Vitae’s Collaborative Researcher programme. The first one last year was very enjoyable – both in terms of the delivery and what I got from it as well – and so I had been looking forward to this one for some time. It was a good way to start off the new year of delivering workshops.
Back To Work
Jan 28th
Even though I’ve never been away really: back to delivering workshops!
January has been a quiet month in some ways, but a good one. It’s also been a really productive time I think. The time in my home office has given me some focus for the things that I want to accomplish over the next year (more on that some other time!), but it’s now time to get out there and get back to some of the the things that I really enjoy: helping researchers improve their skills.
Getting More Organised
Jan 26th
Quick thought: and only a quick thought! (that seems to have turned into 400+ words..)
I remember some time ago having a chat with a friend of mine, the subject of which was why I was having trouble reading “Getting Things Done” – at the time it was almost impenetrable to me. It seemed, I don’t know, easy, common sense-ish, and at the same time a bit obvious. My friend’s response was that it was written for someone of a different Myers-Briggs type to me (and maybe that’s true).
Look For Problems
Jan 25th
Quick thought: a nice motivation from Seth Godin
I have been following Seth Godin’s little blog for some time now, ever since I first came across the Domino Project books (which are worth checking out). At least once a day he posts something small and bite-sized, and more often than not it gives me pause for thought.
The Perils of Post-its
Jan 24th
Quick thought: finding post-its and other notes
I mentioned recently that I had moved into my own separate workspace at home. This has been great to have a little private retreat to do work in, a space of my own. It has also meant that I have been organising and reorganising my things every two weeks since I moved.