Habits Not Hacks
The same research problem can look very different from the other side of the bench.
Short, paired research-life stories help trainees and mentors recognize what is happening, see what may look different from the other side, and find a clearer next step.
You do not have to read everything. Jump into the latest posts, or browse by topic below.
How Habits Not Hacks works
Read your side. Look across the bench. Take one step.
Read your side
Start with the trainee or mentor perspective closest to your experience.
Look across the bench
Read the paired perspective and notice what was not visible at first.
Take one step
Reflect, start a conversation, or use a practical tool.
The goal is not to decide which side is right. It is to make the next conversation easier.
Browse all topics
Choose the area closest to what you are navigating.
Each topic opens the trainee and mentor posts that belong together.
Communication & Boundaries
Meetings, expectations, difficult conversations, boundaries, and professional communication.
Self-Awareness & Identity
Comparison, confidence, emotional labor, identity, and how research experiences shape self-perception.
Energy, Rest & Sustainable Work
Capacity, overload, recovery, invisible work, and sustainable ways to keep research moving.
Psychological Safety & Culture
Trust, belonging, lab climate, leadership, and the everyday behaviors that shape a research environment.
Skills, Growth & Competence
Learning, questions, conferences, feedback, technical growth, and becoming more independent.
Career Navigation
Timelines, role choices, transitions, uncertainty, and decisions that fit your current season.
What next?
Recognized the problem? Choose what you need next.
Habits Not Hacks helps you understand the situation. From here, you can act on it yourself or work on it with a group.
Need something you can use now?
Use a worksheet, planner, checklist, or conversation guide to prepare for the next meeting, decision, or difficult conversation.
Explore the ToolkitWant to work on it with a group?
Program Packages add facilitator guidance, paired stories, participant materials, structured practice, practical tools, and follow-up.
Explore Program PackagesA paired story can also be used on its own in a one-on-one, lab meeting, seminar, onboarding conversation, or mentoring group.
Want the next research-life story?
Get new trainee and mentor perspectives and practical resources by email.