Core motivator, key critic

Everyone who has set off on a long and demanding journey knows the ups and downs of being excited and eager to make some miles on one hand and on the other worrying why on earth one would ever try to attempt what you are about to attempt. Setting yourself off on an unusually demanding challenge both exhilarates you and makes you feel slightly foolish at the same time.

Both impressions are emotional responses to being challenged. Neither is more helpful than the other—they just work in different ways. Your motivation will help you move forwards. Excessive motivation may, however, lead you to assess your situation too optimistically and make you overly confident. Worrying and being overly critical about your own performance or seemingly foolish plans, on the other hand, can make you nervous, but it also keeps your adrenaline up and your attention sharp enough to solve problems along the way.

Research requires you to work through several obstacles. Both motivation and self-criticism can be employed in a way to help you propel yourself forward. Depending on your personality, you may find it difficult to push away the emotional texture that comes with challenging and stressful settings. If that’s the case, why not try to put these emotional responses to good use?

(This is a preview section. The full chapter on this topic continues with the sections “Rough coordinates”, “Train of thought”, “In essence”, “To reflect”, “Two travellers’ tales”, “Devil’s advocate”, and “How to tackle”.)