Losing track of time. Blanking out everything around you. Completely immersing in the moment, in doing. With every fibre, every breath at whatever you are focusing on. So much so that it doesn’t even feel like focus anymore. So in the middle of it that you feel no effort, no exertion, no fatigue or exhaustion. So dived in that you‘re one with it. That’s it. That’s the flow. When was the last time you experienced that?

The lucky beans “Once upon a time there was a farmer who put a handful of beans in his left trouser pocket every morning. …

Cross your heart — who hasn’t at least once heard the pernicious questions about our “role models” or, even better, our “good intentions”? And now, who’s consequently made up a well-considered and at least as well-sounding repertoire of impressively confident and convincing answers to them? Let’s face it — at…

… Or: Why knowing your personal strengths is crucial. You can probably relate to this: It doesn’t really matter whether you’ve actually been asked or not — as soon as it comes to listing what you supposedly can’t do or what you find difficult, a number of things pop into…

…Or: Why you can’t pour from an empty jug. I will start with this wonderful quote of Brittin Oakman today, and invite you to let it sink in just for a few moments. “I lied and said I was busy. I was busy; but not in a way most people…

…Or: 4 Reasons for more Positivity in Professional & Academic Life “Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible: and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” … whether or not this quote is from Saint Francis of Assisi, it has a crucial point: We can achieve way more than what we thought we could. We can surprise ourselves with our own capacities and capabilities. …

So you’ve dared to throw yourself into a new journey. A journey that consists of finding your way through a vast landscape of research, seemingly scarce in resources yet somehow thrilling for its many unfathomed paths. But you’re not alone there. …

Living and working in your own four walls — that’s great, isn’t it? You don’t have to stress in the morning about being in the office on time, you can organize your day and workplace flexibly, even walk around in pajamas if need be, who cares? …

After the MA comes the PhD — that’s clear, isn’t it? I mean, the more titles the better, it opens up attractive career paths, that’s an unwritten law — right? This kind of thinking, I believe, is the undoing of many these days. What is attractive about an academic career…