I am Diogo Aguiam, and This is How I Work

Today, I am interviewing Dr. Diogo Aguiam in the "How I Work" series.

Current Job: In between jobs in research
Current Location: Braga, Portugal
Current mobile device: Nexus 5x
Current computer: Macbook Pro (Mid 2012)

Can you briefly explain your current situation and research to us?
Nuclear fusion occurs naturally in stars. Two light atoms fuse together to form a heavier atom, while releasing energy. If we could control this reaction here on Earth, we would be able to produce electricity from the excess energy! But this is very hard to do...
We must heat a plasma to millions of degrees to get the conditions required for the fusion reaction. We can do this using special donut-shaped devices called tokamaks, which use strong magnetic fields to confine the plasma without touching the walls. Still, getting more energy out of the reaction than what we use to get it going is still a few decades away.
My research is focused on developing radar-like diagnostics to measure the density profiles of the plasma to understand its shape and location inside the tokamak during a discharge.
I have a background in electronics engineering and I have just finished my PhD in physics developing a reflectometry diagnostic for ASDEX Upgrade, a tokamak device at the Max-Planck-Institute for Plasma Physics in Garching, Germany.

What tools, apps and software are essential to your workflow?
For my work I use Visual Studio Code and Jupyter to develop my processing codes in python and analysing data. I use Mendeley to manage papers and organise everything inside dropbox. In our group we communicate using hangouts and slack and collaborate with code through gitlab. I also backup my entire work directories to a WD MyCloud server at home, which has saved me more than once!

What does your workspace setup look like?
I mostly work from my laptop as I move around a lot between my home institution IPFN, in Lisbon, Portugal, and the Max-Planck-Institute for Plasma Physics in Garching, Germany, where my diagnostic is installed. I have an office at both places, with a desk, a keyboard, mouse and monitor, which I connect to the laptop.
During operation days I typically work in the Control Room of ASDEX Upgrade to check on the data after each experiment. Most other days I am in my office developing codes, analysing data, or reading/writing papers. When we need to repair equipment you'll find me lugging my laptop and an assortment of power meters, oscilloscopes, coaxial cables, etc...

What is your best advice for productive academic work?
Always keep an organised copy of everything you do, such as code, data and figures. You will often have to come back to it.

How do you keep an overview of projects and tasks?
I try to work on one big project at a time and schedule the others in google calendar. When I have to deal with a lot of bureaucracy, I write every step in my notebook and tick them off as I go.

Which skill makes you stand out as an academic?
I am too lazy to do repetitive work. I have spent a week developing a tool to automate a calibration procedure that I would have to do three times. I organise these tools and share them with other researchers helping them do their own work. I have found I am most productive when helping other researchers do their jobs faster, such as writing scripts to make figures or learning new programming tips.

What do you listen to when you work?
I get a random study, focus, light edm, trance playlist from spotify playing.

What are you currently reading? How do you find time for reading?
How to win friends and influence people, by Dale Carnegie.
I often read on my kobo when commuting or on long flights.

Are you more of an introvert or extrovert? How does this influence your working habits?
I used to be an introvert, and I still value alone time at home. But I've grown to enjoy meeting new people and talk about anything. I get to learn new things every day.

What's your sleep routine like?
I typically get only 6 or 7 hours of sleep every day as I browse Feedly and Twitter late into the night.

What's your work routine like?
At my home institution I do typical 9 am to 6 pm days. During missions, however, my schedule stretches to 12-14 hours per day, often late into the night, as I have to get everything working before the next operation day.

What's the best advice you ever received?
Never stop learning.

I am Marie Morganelli, and This is How I Work

Today, I am hosting Marie Morganelli in the "How I Work" series. Marie Morganelli has an earned doctorate in English Literature. She has taught literature and composition at the community college and university levels since 2006, and has professional experience in marketing, copywriting, and volunteer management, as well as visitor services for a large cultural institution. She is passionate about informal education, particularly with zoos and other cultural institutions, and with telling a good story. Her freelance business, www.precisewords.org, focuses on clear, concise copywriting for small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and other publications who need help telling their unique story to further their goals. She is a huge fan of travel, coffee, and wine.

General: Marie Morganelli has a PhD in English literature, and is building a freelance copywriting business while working by day as an administrator for a university with a large online presence.
Current Job: Freelance writer for Precise Words Copywriting
Current Location: Manchester, NH
Current mobile device: An apple iphone 6, with which I have a love/hate relationship
Current computer: MacBook Air 13 in.

Can you briefly explain your current situation and research to us?
I finished my PhD with no interest whatsoever in working in an academic field. I was burned out from the politics of graduate school, and stressed by the many hoops one has to jump through to get anywhere with a career in academia. I do love teaching, though, and so taught part-time for an online university while working full time in education and guest services at a cultural institution (zoo). The part-time job led to a full time job as an Associate Dean, so, ironically, I did find myself working in an academic field, though because our program is unique, my traditional title does not quite match my somewhat nontraditional role. Our hierarchy and program management are somewhat different than at a traditional university, which is what drew me to it.

While I feel very lucky to have this position, I missed working in a creative capacity, and have an entrepreneurial spirit, and so I have been working on building a freelance business to indulge my creative interests, utilize my skills, and feel as though I have some agency as to my personal success.

What tools, apps and software are essential to your workflow?
My MacBook Air is one of my favorite purchases ever. I bought it when I started teaching online because it is so lightweight and portable. I previously had a Windows-based laptop which was heavier and thus harder to lug through airports, and it was prone to crashing from viruses. Macs cost a lot more but crash a lot less, and the MacBook line is incredibly lightweight. I opted for the 13 in. because the bit of extra screen space is helpful. The 11 in. was just too small to be practical for me.

I prefer a laptop to iPad because I like having my files with me as well as the full size keyboard.

As for apps and software, I use Microsoft Word almost exclusively to write, though I do sit down with a notepad and pen quite often and rock it old school when writing a first draft. The pen in my hand helps me think better, I find. That also prevents me from web-surfing when I should be working!

I don’t use many apps in the course of getting my work done, though I do use the internet at large quite a bit for research.

What does your workspace setup look like?
I have a desk, chosen specifically for its large surface so I could spread out, in my spare bedroom. I have a second monitor that is incredibly helpful. Sometimes, when the weather is nice, I take my laptop outside and work on my porch.

I currently sit in a traditional office chair, and it’s killing my back. I am on the lookout for a backless kneeling chair to help with posture.



What is your best advice for productive academic work?
I do try to stay current in research and academic writing given my day job, but the truth is, I do not love it. I much prefer to work on my freelance projects or personal writing when it comes to professional writing. There is something about academic writing that has never truly appealed to me.

How do you keep an overview of projects and tasks?
I am continuously working on ways to do this better. Right now, my billing is tracked through an excel spreadsheet and I use the calendar built in on my mac, so I can sync with my phone. I tried using a paper calendar, but online seems to work better. I am determined to find a better way, though!

Besides phone and computer, do you use other technological tools in work and daily life?
These are the key items. I wish I could get by with using technology less, and I have been making a conscious effort to stare at my phone less overall, which helps. The truth is that I type much faster than I handwrite, so working via computer will probably always be necessary.

Which skill makes you stand out as an academic?
I’m a pretty terrible academic, to be honest! I am a terrific teacher, though, and an excellent writer. I have the skills to be a good academic but not the spirit. The skills and confidence I learned in graduate school, though, directly influence the work that I do now, both as a freelance writer and as an administrator, and I am not sure I would be on my current path without having gone through that experience. I do have a pretty strong dose of self-confidence when it comes to knowing that I’m good enough and smart enough for the work that I’m doing.

What do you listen to when you work?
Usually, silence or the birds chirping outside, which make me happy because it means that spring is finally, finally here. Sometimes I listen to classical music.

What are you currently reading? How do you find time for reading?
One of my current goals is to read more. Reading is one of my favorite things to do, and so I decided to make time for it. I read for at least half an hour every night before bed (with a hard copy book or my non-backlit Kindle) in addition to any other reading I can squeeze into a day. I am currently halfway through “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee, which I highly recommend. It’s riveting.

I also read business-related books, and right now am reading “Blue Ocean Shift” by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, which is about changing one’s perspective from being a competitor to being an innovator. After that, I plan to dive into “Change Your Space, Change Your Culture” by Rex Miller, Mabel Casey, and Mark Konchar, because the concept of space and place is one that interests me a great deal and that affects many aspects of our personal and professional lives (and was a focus in my dissertation).

Are you more of an introvert or extrovert? How does this influence your working habits?
I am an introvert through and through. It took a long time for me to realize this. I spent years not really understanding how I could not consider myself shy yet found myself wanting to spend so much time alone. Then I started learning more about introverts and recognized myself immediately. I do work to embrace and appreciate myself for who I am, and know that sometimes I need time to myself, and I protect and defend that time. But I also recognize that sometimes a person needs to act like an extrovert to get things done. My previous role at the zoo managing guest services taught me how to function like an extrovert when needed.

Being a writer really is the perfect job for an introvert, except I do think it’s important not to let my comfort level at spending time alone become a crutch or a habit. Instead, I make time to participate in activities outside my home because “introvert” does not have to mean “hermit!” Plus, personal connections are how one grows and nurtures a business as well as are an important way to stay connected with others.

What's your sleep routine like?
I really wish I could confidently say that I get eight to nine hours of sleep a night every night, but that would be a lie. I am working towards meeting my goal of eight hours of sleep a night but I have yet to meet that goal, except on weekends. Typically, I try to at least get ready for bed by 9pm, and then read for a bit. I wake up around 5am to work on my freelance projects for a few hours before going in to work at my full time position.

What's your work routine like?
I work best in the early mornings, especially with a deadline, such as a time I need to leave to get to my full time position. I do not work well at all in the evenings when I am tired, so I reserve evenings for meal preparation, exercise, reading, and my artistic hobbies (cross-stitching, drawing, and stained glass).

What's the best advice you ever received?
Years ago, I asked my dad what advice he would go back and give his younger self if he could only give himself one piece of advice. He thought about it for a moment and then said: “Save early, save often.”

He was right. The impact of compounding interest is real. The impact of getting into a habit of saving regularly is real. Thanks to that one piece of advice, I opened my first retirement account when I was still in college, before I even had my first full time job, and I am definitely seeing the rewards of that now. This advice translates into other aspects of life as well, because making a habit to move consistently forward, one step after one step after one step, is how to accomplish one’s goals and make dreams a reality.

I am Philip Shields, and This is How I Work

Today, I am interviewing Dr. Philip Shields. Dr. Shields is a scholar-practitioner in the field of Executive Leadership. He currently works as a manager for a General Electric Company and as an Adjunct Professor at two universities. His undergraduate degree was in Chemistry and he holds a Master's degree in Management with a focus in Integrated Logistics. His passions include faith, family, flying, friends, and bridging the gap between public and private organizations so that both may benefit through strategic alliances.

Current Job: Manager at FieldCore, a General Electric Company. Adjunct Faculty at the University of Charleston and at Liberty University
Current Location: Unites States and Virtual
Current mobile device: iphones
Current computer: Dell PC and MacBook Pro

Can you briefly explain your current situation and research to us?
My research focuses on Executive Leader perceptions of their involvement with forming and sustaining Cross-Sector Strategic Alliances. Public-Private Partnerships are a type of Cross-Sector Strategic Alliances. I am exploring avenues for continuing the research that I started while in my doctorate program. I am also looking for other publication opportunities for excerpts from my dissertation research.

What tools, apps and software are essential to your workflow?
I do not work in an office with my teammates and other managers of FieldCore and so I depend heavily on my virtual communication tools. I use WebEx and Skype for Business daily. My iphone is the link that keeps me connected to my team and direct reports. During my research I found Skype Recorder to be a very good tool for recording virtual interviews and it was compatible with TranscribeMe, the transcription service that I use for qualitative research. In research I use Nvivo as a tool for analyzing multiple (hundreds) of articles for themes. It proves itself to be worth the cost each time that I use it.

What does your workspace setup look like?
I use two desks for my home office. One desk is a large table with a two monitor VariDesk setup on it, and the other desk is a vintage wood desk with my macbook and an extra monitor. I use my VeriDesk for my full-time work computer or for long writing sessions on papers (I found during my doctorate work that using the standing desk reduced my total completion time for a 18-20 page paper by four hours. I do go to work in the home office sometimes and when I travel to our Tampa, FL home office I take my work laptop and an ASUS usb monitor (game changer for those who travel a lot...you gotta have 2 monitors).



What is your best advice for productive academic work?
Get buy-in from those close to you. Your significant other needs to be supportive, because this gives you the opportunity to write without/with less guilt. Don't try to separate your work from your family...face the challenges together so that you grow together (or you will grow apart...50% of doctorate students get divorced during or immediately following the program).

How do you keep an overview of projects and tasks?
I use a bound planner that I get from Michael Hyatt's company. It is his Full Focus Planner. I find it to be the best planner that I have ever used (previously I used a Franklin-Covey planner system)

Besides phone and computer, do you use other technological tools in work and daily life?
I also have a nook that has a digital reader function. There are times when listening to a book or an article is the most efficient way for me, like when driving, so I let my nook read the article out loud to me. I then go back and highlight as needed.

Which skill makes you stand out as an academic?
Confidence and Collaboration. I enjoy collaboration and feel that my willing to face rejection (confidence to hear a No) helps me to meet people and partner in research.

What do you listen to when you work?
The genre of music varies but I try to listen to music that I don't mind being on repeat. I use music that I like and that I don't have to concentrate on the lyrics. Recently I have been listening to Rend Collective and NeedToBreathe.

What are you currently reading? How do you find time for reading?
Jocko Willink's "Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual", and various faith based books and articles. I wake-up each morning at 4:55am and use the time before 8am for self-development. Including exercise in the morning makes me more productive throughout the day.

Are you more of an introvert or extrovert? How does this influence your working habits?
Extrovert. I am not a fan of working alone at my house (when my wife and kids are around I am actually more productive), but I do like the flexibility of working remotely. I enjoy working in environments that I can collaborate with and draw energy from others around me. When I am working alone and see myself becoming distracted I make my phone calls or conference calls that I need to make that day.

What's your sleep routine like?
This is where I fail most often. My goal is 10:30pm bedtime with a 4:55am wake-up. Most often it is a 11:30pm bedtime.

What's your work routine like?
First, update my planner by checking my calendar and transferring my to-do list to this day's page. Next, I check my phone and email inbox for urgent messages. Then I start with my to-do list. During the day when I feel sluggish (mentally or physically) I take a break and step out of my office. As I wrap up my workday I review my progress and plan for my next day or few days.

What's the best advice you ever received?
Never give in, Never, Never, Never... Winston Churchill's 1941 speech. Don't quit, that is the quickest way to fail.

I am Chris McComb, and This is How I Work

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Chris McComb. Dr. McComb is an assistant professor in the School of Engineering Design, Technology and Professional Programs at Penn State University. He holds courtesy appointment in mechanical engineering and industrial engineering and is an affiliate faculty of the Institute for CyberScience. McComb attended California State University-Fresno and received dual B.S. degrees in Civil and Mechanical Engineering (2012). He later attended Carnegie Mellon University as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and obtained his M.S. (2014) and Ph.D. (2016) in Mechanical Engineering. McComb’s research examines the interface between humankind and the technology and products that we create, with topics ranging from team methodology, social choice theory, machine learning, and computational synthesis. He teaches courses in design innovation, engineering design, and decision-making.

Current Job: Assistant Professor of Engineering Design
Current Location: University Park, PA, USA
Current mobile device: iPhone 8+
Current computer: Apple MacBook Pro

Can you briefly explain your current situation and research to us?
I’m a tenure-track assistant professor in the School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs at Penn State University. I co-direct the Technology and Human Research in Engineering Design (THRED) Group with Dr. Jessica Menold, where we study the interface between humankind and the systems that we create. I’m specifically interested in (1) designing organizations and teams to optimize enterprise-level as well as individual goals, (2) creating tools that allow engineers and designers to create more intelligent and performant products, and (3) addressing fundamental issues that will enable hybrid teams of humans and machines/computers.

What tools, apps and software are essential to your workflow?
The tools that I use fall into three categories: management, development, and writing. In the management category I use Basecamp (project management program that includes chat, file storage, task management) and Box (file syncing).
In the development category I primarily use PyCharm (development environment for Python software), Atom (a lightweight text editor when I don’t need the full power of PyCharm), and Github (version control for software projects).
Finally, in the writing category, I use Mendeley for citation and reference management in conjunction with Microsoft Word.

What is your best advice for productive academic work?
Always keep a few small, mindless tasks handy. Whenever I get stuck on a problem and start banging my head against the wall it’s nice to do something easy and simple yet still productive.

Which skill makes you stand out as an academic?
I think that I have a talent for building computational models of complex systems. I’ve built accurate models of engineering design teams, sequence learning behavior, composite structures, and wave energy converters. It’s easy to make an accurate model if you include everything under the sun, but those models take forever to run. My talent is finding the most meaningful and salient phenomena to include in the mode to strike an optimal balance between accuracy and runtime.

What do you listen to when you work?
That depends on the type of work that I’m doing. If I’m writing or editing I usually listen to grey noise because it helps me focus. For other tasks I listen to an idiosyncratic combination of music ranging from electronica, rap, rock, and pop.

What are you currently reading? How do you find time for reading?
I’m reading three books: Lord of California by Andrew Valencia, Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks, and Whistling Vivaldi by Claude Steele. Most of my reading gets done when I travel, or right before I go to sleep.

Are you more of an introvert or extrovert?
I’m an extrovert. I love to meet with my colleagues in different departments to talk about new ideas and its always exciting to skype with a potential collaborate who I’ve never met before! I try to use these meetings like fuel to get me through the day. That being said, I still get nervous during networking events and conferences. For some reason I find it difficult to be extroverted in that context.

What's your sleep routine like?
I usually manage to get about 7 hours of sleep per night (roughly 10PM to 5AM).

What's your work routine like?
I make it a point to work 7AM-5PM Monday-Friday (except for vacations and mental health days, of course). Trying to focus my work during those hours helps me keep my evenings and weekends free, but near deadlines I end up working earlier/later/more. My objective is usually to work more efficiently rather than just working more.

What's the best advice you ever received?
When I was getting close to finish my dissertation, my advisor (Ken Kotovsky) told me that “Every research publication is just a progress report.” That has really stuck with me. Most academics have a tendency towards perfectionism, but we also have to contend with deadlines! Nothing is ever going to be perfect and being able to accept “good enough for now” is a valuable skill.

Stress levels in academia

I recently ran a poll on Twitter to see the stress levels of fellow academics. The results are not pretty, with the majority of the respondents reporting stress beyond what is acceptable.

Tell me about your stress levels in academia #highered #acwri #phdchat #profchat #ecrchat

— Dr Eva Lantsoght (@evalantsoght) March 5, 2018

You can find the wake of this poll here:

I am Margaret Breidenbaugh and This is How I Work

Today I am interviewing Margaret Breidenbaugh for the "How I Work" series. Born and raised in Ohio’s first capital, Chillicothe, Margaret Breidenbaugh completed her undergraduate work in music composition and vocal performance at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. A search for her German roots necessitated learning to read nineteenth-century German handwriting. An opportunity to process German collections for Cincinnati Museum Center followed. In 2014 Margaret stumbled upon an anonymous travel diary on eBay, a purchase which changed the course of her professional life. After confirming the identity of the writer, Margaret began work on a historical fiction manuscript about German noblewoman Marie von Bonin’s factual 1855 trip to Paris. She received sage advice about this project from Stanley Planton, historical consultant to Dan Brown. As a second-year M.A. History student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Margaret researches nineteenth- and twentieth-century German social and cultural history, especially women’s conceptions of identity and agency. Her current research is a companion to her historical fiction project, and argues that Bonin saw her travels as an opportunity for intellectual and personal growth. Recent training includes an internship at Cincinnati Museum Center with James DaMico, Curator of Photographs and Prints, and a California Rare Book School workshop, “History, Identification, & Preservation of Photographic Materials,” taught by photograph conservator Gawain Weaver. Margaret’s future plans include continuing to teach voice lessons, completing and publishing her novel, and managing an archive or special collections library.

General:
Current Job: 1) Graduate Assistant, Havighurst Special Collections, Miami University; 2) private voice instructor
Current Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Current mobile device: iPhone
Current computer: Apple 27" desktop and 12" laptop

Can you briefly explain your current situation and research to us?
At present I have two jobs, which means I have to be very conservative and efficient with my time. I am a full-time graduate student in the Department of History at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, I hold a 20-hour-per-week assistantship with Miami U's Special Collections Library, and I teach private voice lessons part-time. I also volunteer at Cincinnati Museum Center's Geier Collections and Research Center. I usually have more than one research project going, all of which have to do with German women, identity, and agency in the 19th and 20th centuries. My primary focus is my thesis project, which examines the life of Marie von Bonin, a young noble woman who kept a travel diary during the summer of 1855. I use her diary as evidence of subversion of social norms about women's experiences with travel, courtship and marriage, and education.

The greatest moment of my research life so far! This is me kneeling beside the final resting place of Marie von Bonin, the young German noblewoman I began researching in 2014

What tools, apps and software are essential to your workflow?
I do pretty much everything on Google Drive. I cannot imagine not being able to pull up my work wherever I go. I use Docs for writing and teaching materials (which I convert to Microsoft Word for submissions), Sheets for longterm planning and budgeting, and Slides for conference presentations.

What does your workspace setup look like?
I have four workspaces! All four have a computer. Three have a mug warmer. One has a piano! Since school is on break, my home office is my primary one. I just purchased modular shelving, folders, and small boxes to organize all of my work and personal papers, which are then arranged by subject and chronology on my shelving. My school office is currently a mess, but I decided not to stress about it until classes resume at the end of this month. My voice studio is my third office, and I have a fourth workspace at Cincinnati Museum Center, where I am processing a collection for the photo curator, James DaMico.

My home office with my two workspaces, a traditional desk for typing and a large table for reading or spreading out research materials

My home office with my modular shelving where I store research materials (papers, books, photographs, etc.)

This is my history department office. Not pictured: storage above my desk for everyday items like paper, pens, wet wipes, coffee - all the essentials! On the bulletin board to my right are two maps: France and Prussia in the mid-1850s. Photo courtesy of Austin Hall.

This is my Special Collections library workspace. I work at different stations depending on my project. These are papers relating to a past president of Miami University, Philip Shriver. It is an honor to help preserve his legacy.

What is your best advice for productive academic work?
Every night, write out a work plan for the following day. Every Sunday night, sketch out a loose idea of what you want to accomplish during the entire week. If I did not do this, I would let too much unscheduled time get away from me.

How do you keep an overview of projects and tasks?
I use a physical planner to sketch out longterm projects. It is color-coded, of course! Orange is school, green is bills/appointments, purple is teaching voice, light blue is fun stuff. I put due dates on monthly calendars and then write weekly goals on daily pages. I am always looking ahead so there are no surprises.

Besides phone and computer, do you use other technological tools in work and daily life?
I use my iPad in my voice studio to share videos with students. It fits perfectly on a music stand and has a pretty powerful speaker.

Which skill makes you stand out as an academic?
I can read 19th-century German handwriting fluently. I also have extensive formal music and theater training, including paid work as a living history actor. I can sight read almost any sheet music with no issue, which I think would serve me well working as a music librarian (possible future career goal).

What do you listen to when you work?
Nothing. Music is my other, equal passion, and I find myself unable to avoid singing or humming along, even if the music is instrumental. I do like working in noisy coffee shops, however. I find the din helps me focus.

What are you currently reading?
I am not reading anything fun at the moment. I need to get back into the habit. I love a good Harlan Coben novel.

Are you more of an introvert or extrovert? How does this influence your working habits?
I exhibit characteristics of both, and when I feel one way or the other seems to be arbitrary. I am not sure how this affects my work habits, to be honest. Great question that I will ponder!

What's your sleep routine like?
I drink WAY too much coffee, a behavior I have tried to curb this year with no success, so I tend to get around 5.5-6 hours of sleep a night. This often means I am tired throughout the day, or I let myself sleep in and miss out on precious research and writing time. Definitely something I need to address before spring semester starts!

What's your work routine like?
I tend to block out 2-3 hours for each activity. I prefer to read in the morning and write in the afternoon. For many people this might seem counterintuitive (better to write when you are at your freshest) but reading comprehension is something I have always struggled with. It takes all receptors firing at once to get the gist of what I'm reading. Writing comes naturally to me, so I don't stress about it nearly as much.

What's the best advice you ever received?
Learn to say no! It is okay not to take on every opportunity that comes your way. You'll enjoy better results with the projects you do take on, and your mental health will thank you for it.