Hello Reader, When I studied in Brazil over a decade ago, my friends often mentioned the story of an “eccentric” professor (a real person). Legend has it that he would travel to the countryside on weekends, without Internet or electricity (!). He would bring a printed article he wanted to study and pen and paper for his reflections on theoretical math. He would spend the weekend deeply engaging with that study, taking breaks, enjoying nature, and sleeping at sunset (remember, no electricity!). Well... I don’t know how much of the legend is true, but as students, we would be daydreaming about a cabin in the woods and all the time in the world to read. Fortunately, it was just a daydream. I love walking in nature, but honestly, I also love my internet and electricity-driven lifestyle. So, if you are like me, you don’t want to step away from your busy life to deeply engage with a source. You may also not have the whole weekend, but maybe 2 or 3 hours here and there. So what can we learn from this professor’s story? Here are 3 things he did that anyone can do to remove friction from the reading process: 1. When it is time to read, readSearching is not reading. Judging the quality of your sources is not reading. Deciding which source to read is not reading. Rather than leaving all of this for “reading time”, create systems that remove the friction from reading by having your sources ready beforehand. For example:
2. Turn off external distractionsYou don’t need to go to a cabin in the woods. Instead:
3. Make it conversationalDon’t just read. Instead, take notes on your reflections. Here are some basic questions I ask my clients to reflect on:
The more you reflect and express the more likely you are to remember what you read and the more you will be able to connect it to the rest of your knowledge and experiences.
Follow these 3 steps and you are already off to a good start. Then, as you actively engage with your sources, you’ll begin noticing other points of friction related to your tools, methods, and mindset. When that time comes, I would love to work with you to identify and eliminate the points of friction in your learning, thinking, and writing processes. Reply to this email and let’s have a chat. Talk to you soon. Until then, take care. Bianca |
Everyone can be a researcher. Weekly tips on how to beat perfectionism, manage your knowledge, and create your original contribution.
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