• Where to aim philosophically

• How to get there

• Brake 5' sharp

• Applications in research

• Questions and answers

Solve problems with special Attitude, style, philosophy

Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices & personal efficiency.

Neglect accelerates the rot faster than any other factor.

Notice change. Water heating slowly boils frogs alive.

If it's cost-effective, Don't Repeat Yourself (DRY)

Example: use email's search operators and save (bookmarks).

WHAT you did is obvious. Document WHY you did it.

• Behaviour can be designed (e.g. Google, email, Facebook)

• Focus on systems, not goals

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit (Aristotle).

The 5-step model

1. gather material,
2. work intensely over the material in your mind,
3. step away from the problem,
4. LET IDEAS RETURN NATURALLY,
5. test and adjust your idea based on feedback.

(The secret of the most productive R programmer.)

(LET IDEAS RETURN NATURALLY.)

–

AHAs are worth books.

The progress we feel, want and achieve.

[*] If you think without writing, you only think you're thinking (Leslie Lamport).

(continued)

• Think beyond the immediate problem; improve continuously; don't neglect.

• Invest in future-you; if it is cost-effective, DRY.

• Architect your behavior; focus on systems (not goals).

• Creativity is an iterative process; it feels circular but we do move forward (in a spiral).

• Plan creative work around your energy.

• There are lots of cognitive and practical tools for you to try.

–

Have you heard the stones soup story?

I hope this discussion is the catalyst for good change (kaizen).

Feedback came from the audience in the form of a discussion. This comment develops the AHA I had this morning while showering (see AHA in this slide).

A highly successful and experienced researcher from the audience observed that most successful researchers he knows are passionate about science only and they happily devote their lives to it. In contrast, earlier career researchers from the audience observed that they are passionate about science and other things too.

(continues)

If some researchers enjoy working to the point that work and fun are the same thing for them, do they have the right to do it? And if some researchers enjoy other things apart from science, do they have the right to share their time among their passions? In my opinion, the answer is yes to both questions.

The challenge is how to remain competitive in the jobs' market. I hope that this talk helps everyone to improve their efficiency, so they can spend more time doing whatever they love.

–

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."

–Gandhi (or maybe someone else)

(Postdoctoral fellow, Lunds Universitet)

"I liked your talk a lot. It kept me engaged the full time. The fact that you gave inside into your personal strategies instead of just talking about theories was really refreshing. And also brave!"

"It inspired me to think about new strategies for myself, and am still thinking about it this evening. So, well done! It was really cool to have had the time to hear from people about their pragmatic solutions, but maybe it’s too much for an hour long talk and you could make a workshop out of it one day :)".

"In the interest of saving time, you could just talk anecdotally about some of the approaches that people shared today. It's definitely nice to infuse the talk with examples other than yours. But of course that’s really just a matter of personal style. The part with the email organizing was new to me and a very good idea, but could be a bit more dense, you repeated yourself a little bit there. You probably shorten it automatically next time you speak. I struggle finding something that I didn’t like!"

See release slides 0.0.1 pragmatic_bambi