What do you need to be a successful researcher?

—By far, this is the most important. It will help you maintain your motivation even during challenging times in your career (which will be more frequent than you’ll expect). One way to protect your passion for your research is to select research topics that are important to you. They should also be important to your field, your lab, and your colleagues, but they absolutely must be important to you as well.

—Criticism is pervasive and unavoidable in academia. It is inherent in the scientific method. In addition, no study can perfectly address all issues, so there is always room for criticism.

—Keep in mind that criticism is important for the field, because it allows us to re-assess and improve our knowledge.

—Constructive criticism is also important for you, because it will help you identify weaknesses to improve upon and strengths to depend upon.

—Remember that criticism is usually meant to be helpful. It shows that the evaluator is interested enough in your research to help you improve it. It demonstrates that they are thinking about your work carefully.

—Criticism is hard on everyone, so it is important to develop coping strategies. These include:

—Thoughtfully addressing the criticism.

—Remembering that criticism can be beneficial.

—Remembering that it is not personal. The criticism addresses the manuscript (or talk, proposal, etc.), and is not a reflection on your self-worth.

—Actively maintaining your well-being and self-identity by pursuing other hobbies (so you don’t over-identify yourself with your work), relying on a social support network, and protecting your health.

—All successful researchers work hard. Nevertheless, there is no need to overwork yourself just for the sake of working. I think that ~50 hours/week of focused work should be sufficient, on average. (Time on Facebook etc doesn’t count.) Sometimes you’ll have to work more, and sometimes you can work less. The important thing is to work as much as necessary to maintain your productivity. Consider that it is difficult to work efficiently, effectively, and creatively if you are working 60+ hours a week for an extended period of time. Almost everyone will get burned out with that schedule. If you find that you are working long (60+) hours but not maintaining your productivity, try cutting back on your hours to see if your productivity improves.

—Say “no” to tasks that are not substantially beneficial to you (and others). If necessary, select a “cause” or two that are really important to you, and focus your efforts there.

—Schedule activities mindfully.

—Consider your most- & least-productive times during the day, and schedule your activities accordingly.

—Write at least one hour per work day, during your most-productive times.

—Perform busywork and paperwork during your least-productive times.

—Plan ahead so you are not scrambling to finish tasks at the last minute. If possible, finish tasks ahead of time so you are not vulnerable to unexpected events like illness or family emergencies. Plan for ~2 week turnaround times from advisors, co-authors, and other colleagues who are reviewing your manuscripts etc.

—Take regular time-off to recharge and maintain your well-being. Schedule time-off in advance if necessary, and protect that time!

—Prioritize activities that make you happy. Try to do something fun every day. Schedule that time in if you have to, so it’s protected. Hire a cleaning service, unless for some reason you really like to do housework.