Habit Forming.
The purpose of the class is habit-forming.
That's what Mike Roller, my Translational Research professor, shared with me in a one on one critique of my first assignment. He was in the middle of giving me advice on how to approach my research better. As someone who is mostly self-taught in research, I am aware that I have habits that need reform. More than receiving a master's degree, I'm back in the classroom to become a better researcher (and designer). But that means I have to let go of my old habits and be willing to learn new ones. It's a bit humbling, and a large part of me that wants to hang on to what I already know.
I could quickly dive into an inventory of my known (bad) habits and write an extremely long article that no one wants to read. Self-deprecation is one of those habits if you couldn't tell. Instead, I'd rather go through an exercise of discerning what new habits Mike's class is helping me to form. With the semester wrapping up, the most apparent new habit I recognize is the ability to apply better critical thinking to the research and design process.
My new lens is summed up into the following four steps:
1. What one question are you trying to answer?
2. What is the most effective method for answering that question?
3. What is the minimal amount of work you need to do to receive the maximum amount of insights to inform your next action?
4. Repeat.
These steps are constraints, but they’re also guides. They will tether me when get lost in the information, or they cause me to pause when I am designing too much in an attempt to feel like I'm accomplishing some unknown end.
I'm reminded of the book Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. The name comes from a story she tells of her brother attempting to write an assignment on birds one the eve of the deadline. He asks their father how he'll ever accomplish the tasks. The father says, "Bird by Bird." In other words, by chunking the project into parts. Rather than focus on three birds at a time, focus on one. Further, instead of writing about the whole bird, start with a small piece (like it's unique wing span, or strange habits, like this weird mating dance).
The point? Don't take on too much at once. Work on one good question at a time. Match the question with a proper method. Try not to make it more work than it needs to be. Repeat, bird by bird, until your done.