Defining obtainable success
Everyday for the last month, a co-worker and I will define success for the day.
Some examples: clean your sample, write an outline, fix a broken part of the instrument.
We try to define a goal that is meaningful, and a big enough stretch that there is some risk that we might fail, but also not so big that it is unreasonable. When the day and week are good, we often achieve the goal that day, or at least within one day. If the goal is poorly defined, success comes at the cost of the goal dragging on for more than a couple of days and often a week. This exercise of defining success has been very meaningful to me. It keeps me on track, and I feel really successful when I've reached the goal and am more motivated to do extra things. When success is obtained, we don't just leave for the day, we continue on with the next experiment or task on our list, but we feel good! and triumphant! and smart! and these are important things when your instrument is breaking all the time, or the data you've spent hours obtaining is nonsensical. Defining success in terms of meaningful, obtainable goals frames our work in a focused and motivated way.
Defining success this way, makes me feel more positive when so much of what I do ends in failure even when I'm putting in my best effort. Taking risks, and the learning process of trying to reach success is often success in itself.
Sometimes the lessons that I learn from dedicating my life to understanding chemistry are really beautiful to me.
Some examples: clean your sample, write an outline, fix a broken part of the instrument.
We try to define a goal that is meaningful, and a big enough stretch that there is some risk that we might fail, but also not so big that it is unreasonable. When the day and week are good, we often achieve the goal that day, or at least within one day. If the goal is poorly defined, success comes at the cost of the goal dragging on for more than a couple of days and often a week. This exercise of defining success has been very meaningful to me. It keeps me on track, and I feel really successful when I've reached the goal and am more motivated to do extra things. When success is obtained, we don't just leave for the day, we continue on with the next experiment or task on our list, but we feel good! and triumphant! and smart! and these are important things when your instrument is breaking all the time, or the data you've spent hours obtaining is nonsensical. Defining success in terms of meaningful, obtainable goals frames our work in a focused and motivated way.
Defining success this way, makes me feel more positive when so much of what I do ends in failure even when I'm putting in my best effort. Taking risks, and the learning process of trying to reach success is often success in itself.
Sometimes the lessons that I learn from dedicating my life to understanding chemistry are really beautiful to me.
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