Interlude: Procrastination, Weird Phrases, and Metrics of Success
What is the root of procrastination?
Many of us think that procrastination is due to problems with motivation or time management. And we think that we can solve these problems with willpower and better organization.
But procrastination is not rooted in discipline. It's rooted in emotion.
Procrastination is often due to avoiding uncomfortable emotions—the stress, fear, or discomfort we associate with a task.
“Procrastination is an emotion regulation problem, not a time management problem.” – Dr. Tim Pychyl
So how can you overcome procrastination? Here's a simple, three-step process that I've found helpful.
1️⃣ Notice when you're procrastinating
When you find that you’re avoiding something, take a moment to ask yourself how you are feeling. Identify the emotion that is getting in the way.
2️⃣ Reframe the task
After you identify the emotion, shift your mindset. If you're feeling anxious, break the task into smaller tasks. If you're feeling uncomfortable, remind yourself that discomfort is often an opportunity to grow.
3️⃣ Take just one tiny step
After managing your mindset, take the smallest possible action to just get started. Often once you start, you'll find momentum to keep going.
How do you overcome procrastination? Hit reply and let me know.
Now onto this week's round-up...
💌 Round-up
🎉 Featured
Interview on the The Bold PhD Podcast
I was thrilled that Gertrude Nonterah, PhD, invited me to talk with her on The Bold PhD Podcast. Check out the episode to hear our conversation on the challenges of starting a career in medical writing, the journey of climbing the career “jungle gym,” and the ways you can hone your writing skills. Web | Apple | YouTube
👓 Reading
A weird phrase is plaguing scientific papers – and we traced it back to a glitch in AI training data
"Earlier this year, scientists discovered a peculiar term appearing in published papers: 'vegetative electron microscopy'.
"This phrase, which sounds technical but is actually nonsense, has become a 'digital fossil' – an error preserved and reinforced in artificial intelligence (AI) systems that is nearly impossible to remove from our knowledge repositories.
"Like biological fossils trapped in rock, these digital artefacts may become permanent fixtures in our information ecosystem.
"The case of vegetative electron microscopy offers a troubling glimpse into how AI systems can perpetuate and amplify errors throughout our collective knowledge."
On defining your own metrics of success
"If you’re an academic scientist like Dr. Montgomery, or like me, you’ll know that career advancement usually depends more than we might like on various metrics that attempt to quantify scientific achievement and impact – things like numbers of papers published, number of graduate students supervised, number of undergraduate courses taught, even the dreaded H-index.
"The alternative Montgomery offers is that of rejecting these externally imposed metrics in favour of your own – or at least, supplementing them with your own. She describes her own practice of defining something she calls the “B-index” (for Beronda), which is a set of personal goals or criteria she then uses in self-assessments – and that she advocates for as she goes through more formal assessments in her career."
🎧 Listening
Interview with Editor-in-Chief of Nature Magdalena Skipper – SSP’s Early Career Development Podcast
In this interview, Magdalena Skipper shares how the beauty of being an editor is that you stay connected to science and the research ecosystem, but with a broader focus that lets you stand right behind researchers and "look over their shoulder" as they make discoveries and develop solutions. Her words so accurately describe one reason why I love what I do.
🎓 Training
CME Writing Success Formula – April 23, 2025 @ 10 am PT
If you’re curious about writing in continuing medical education (CME), CME guru Alex Howson is hosting a free 1-hour live workshop designed to help you launch your CME writing journey with clarity, confidence, and purpose. In this hands-on session, Alex will walk you through the four foundational pillars of a successful freelance CME writing business: craft, knowledge, business, and wellbeing.
📆 Upcoming in the Redwood Ink Academy
Writing Feedback Lab – April 23, 2025
During writing feedback labs, members of the Redwood Ink Academy can get feedback on their writing from me and other members of the community. In this month's Writing Feedback Lab, we will review the Discussion section of one of our member's research manuscripts. You must be enrolled in Scientific Writing Simplified to join.
Thank you so much for reading.
Warmly,
Crystal
