How to Keep Progressing on Long-Term Projects

Ten years ago today, I defended my PhD dissertation. At the time, I had one publication from my master's fieldwork. Ten years later, I have 84 peer-reviewed publications, which has exceeded my own goal: my initial goal was one paper per quarter, which would come to four a year. With over 80 publications in a decade, this works out to at least eight a year so far, double my initial goal. I have had people ask me how I have managed to be that productive, and I usually jokingly say, “Being an introvert who loves her computer.” But on further reflection, the following have been helpful for me: 1. Respect your research participants’ time. If your research involves collecting primary data, there is no better way to honor their time than by analyzing, writing up, and publishing the findings. 2. Don’t waste your own time. If you start a paper, complete it, or all the time you will have already spent on it will go to waste. Publish your dissertation and master’s thesis since you have already put in most of the work. 3. Know the role of writing in your job. If you are in academia, writing is a key part of your job, not something you do when you have time. So, just as you schedule meetings, schedule your writing time in your calendar and protect it as much as you can. 4. Work on issues you are passionate about and want to engage the broader community through your findings. The papers that drag on are usually those on topics that you aren’t really very interested in talking  about. 5. Don’t wait for big chunks of time to write. It certainly helps to have longer writing hours, so block some of those if you can (Long flights without internet are great times for uninterrupted writing, so don’t pay for airline internet to check emails). But you will be surprised how far 30mins a day can get you. 6. Set SMART writing goals for your year, review them quarterly, and plan for your writing each week. 7. If you need external accountability, find what works for you: find writing buddies, join writing challenges or retreats, etc. 8. Don’t expect people to invite you to contribute to their papers early in your career. Take the initiative to lead a paper and invite others to contribute. As you advance, you will have more opportunities to contribute to papers that others are leading. I was the first author on my first publication and in 8 out of my first 10. This year I am the first author on only one of the 13 publications so far this year and senior or other author on the rest. 9. Don’t shelve a paper because the first (or even more than one) journal rejected it. If you take time to address real concerns, it will find a home (unless it was completely flawed to start with). 10. It is better to have one completed paper than many uncompleted papers. And if you happen to be an introvert/ambivert who enjoys some time alone with your computer, take advantage of that.  What strategies have worked for you? Please share; others may benefit from your experience.

On finishing your dissertation (or three tips for breaking the mountain down into hills). I struggled in the final phase of my dissertation. I had a job. I had a place secured to live. I had it all. Yet. I could not muster up the energy to wrap it up. I was in a funk. So after an intervention by my advisor (who politely said, sitting in your office being sad about leaving isn't going to get this done) and another by my dad (who less politely said you need to work every day, if you want to be successful), I got to work. What did it look like? First, both my advisor and my dad suggested breaking what was left to be done into manageable tasks. Two examples. 1990s Example: Instead of viewing my dissertation as one enormous project, my dad suggested listing small, achievable tasks such as "read and summarize two articles today" or "write the introduction for Chapter 3." Modern Example: Use tools like Trello or Notion to visually track and tick off each smaller milestone, giving you a sense of progress and momentum. Second, establish a regular and realistic routine 1990s Example: Commit to writing for 30-60 minutes each morning before checking email or the news. Over time, this consistent practice turned dissertation writing into a habit rather than an overwhelming task. Modern Example: Designate specific times in your week strictly for dissertation tasks, such as every Monday and Wednesday afternoon, and communicate these boundaries to friends, family, and colleagues. Simply don't respond to email. Note: This is modern, bc responding to email quickly was not expected in the 1990s. Third, create accountability through social support. My advisor and my dad reminded me that I didn't have to sit alone in my office, I did have friends, lean on them a bit. 1990s Example: Meet weekly with peers at the same stage in your program, discuss challenges, and share progress. Mutual support can enhance motivation and encourage. This helped me get out of my office and fell less alone. Modern Example: Publicly share your weekly dissertation goals on your private feed on platforms like Twitter or Facebook, inviting feedback and encouragement from your academic and professional network. Note: I do not recommend sharing your dissertation troubles on a public feed. They can come back to haunt you. Eventually, after making progress, which built confidence, after forming a routine, which made it easier to write, after spending time with friends, which made it hard to feel even more depressed, I finished. And I found those habits of finishing a little each day, writing on a regular basis, and getting ut and around people, helped me as I moved into the next phase of my career as an assistant professor. Best of luck! #academicjourney #academiclife

I've tried the fancy productivity systems, but here's what works: This 3x5 notecard... Each evening, I sit down at my desk and write down the 3-5 highest impact to-dos for the following day. These are the "important" tasks that directly contribute to my long-term projects or goals. The list is pure—I specifically avoid writing down all of the miscellaneous urgent and unimportant to-dos (more on that later). In the morning, I sit down at my desk for my first focus work block and start at the top of the list, working my way down and crossing off the important items as I get through them. My primary goal is to cross each item off the list by the end of the day. I am intentionally conservative in the number of items I write on the list. It's usually 3, sometimes 4, and very rarely 5. I never want to end the day with open items, so being conservative helps me accomplish that (and get the extra rush from getting through more than I expected). As I go through the day, I stole an idea from Marc Andreessen to use the back of the card to write down and cross off any minor to-dos that I complete (the urgent or unimportant tasks that are not welcome on the front of the card). The process of writing and crossing off an item on the back of the card is a further boost of momentum, so I find it to be a worthwhile exercise. My notecard productivity system is painfully simple, but it's grounded in five powerful realizations: 1. 15 minutes of prep in the evening is worth hours the next morning. By setting out your priority tasks the night before, you eliminate any friction from having to decide what to work on. You hit the ground sprinting. 2. Important > Urgent. By tackling the important to start the day, you guarantee progress against the big picture projects and goals. If my day went to hell after that morning focus block (which it sometimes does with a 1-year-old at home!), it would be ok, because I know I've gotten through much of my important work. 3. Momentum is everything. Crossing important items off your list to start the day immediately creates a winning feeling that you keep with you. Success begets success. 4. Simple is beautiful. If you're spending time thinking about your productivity system, you're studying for the wrong test. That's movement for the sake of movement. You should be focused on progress. 5. Find what works for you. It used to stress me out that I didn't have a beautiful productivity system that would impress others. Then I realized that whatever works for me is the best productivity system. Identify how you operate and find the system that works for you. To get started, just buy a stack of simple 3x5 notecards and give it a shot. If you've ever been overwhelmed by productivity systems and advice, this is an approach to try. Follow me Sahil Bloom for more ideas like this in the future and join 800,000+ others who get these in my weekly newsletter: https://lnkd.in/esGsF85Q

Procrastination happens to the best of us. Even those of us who teach productivity for a living sometimes find ourselves scrolling social media (like RIGHT NOW) instead of tackling the article I’m supposed to write, the tricky conversation I need to have, and the administrivia that I need to follow up on. I mean YOU. Did I say “I”? :) The key isn’t to eliminate procrastination entirely;,it’s to have the right tools to get yourself unstuck when it happens. Here are a few “procrastination pep talks” you (I) can give yourself (myself) when you (I) find yourself (myself) stuck: 1. “This feeling is information, not a verdict.” Your procrastination is trying to tell you something. Maybe you’re overwhelmed, uncertain where to start, or afraid of not meeting expectations. Instead of judging yourself, get curious about what’s underneath it. Once you identify the real issue, you can address it directly and move forward. 2. “You don’t have to feel ready to get started.” Readiness is overrated. You’ll rarely feel completely prepared or motivated to begin difficult work. The most productive people don’t wait for the perfect moment. They start anyway. Action creates momentum, and momentum creates motivation. Not the other way around. 3. “Progress over perfection.” That report doesn’t need to win a Pulitzer on the first draft. Your job right now isn’t to create something perfect; it’s to create something improvable. Give yourself permission to produce work that’s good enough to refine later. Version 1.0 beats version never. 4. “Break it down until it feels doable.” If the task feels overwhelming, it’s probably too big. Keep breaking it down until you find something manageable. Can’t write the whole proposal? Write the outline. Can’t do that? Open the document and write the first line. There’s always a smaller step you can take right now. 5. “You’ve done hard things before.” Remember when you thought you’d never figure out that challenging project? Yet here you are. You have a track record of working through challenges and getting things done. This task isn’t any different. 6. “Fifteen minutes is enough to start.” You don’t need three uninterrupted hours to make progress. Set a timer for 15 minutes and commit to working for just that long. Often, starting is the hardest part, and once you’re in motion, you’ll want to keep going. 7. “Your future self is counting on you.” Think about how you’ll feel tonight if you continue avoiding this task versus how you’ll feel if you make real progress. Your future self will either thank you for pushing through or wish you had started sooner. Be the person your future self can count on. Procrastination isn’t a character flaw. It’s an emotional avoidance habit. And like any habit, it can be changed with the right strategies and self-compassion. The next time you find yourself stuck, choose one of these pep talks and give it a try.