Do Less. Achieve More.

Professor Brian Keating
4 min readJan 15, 2025

Dear Magicians,

We live in a culture that worships productivity. Yet, the most impactful scientists don’t chase metrics. They don’t flood the academic landscape with papers. Instead, they move carefully, deliberately — like a chess master choosing each move with precision.

Consider this: Nobel laureates often publish less than their peers. But what they do publish changes everything. Fewer papers. Greater impact. This is the paradox of real success.

Burnout and overachievement are not virtues. They are distractions. Here’s how to avoid them.

Define Your “Enough”

Clarity matters. Without it, you’ll drown in busyness.

  • How many hours do you really need to work each week? 45? 50? More than that, and you’re just fooling yourself.
  • Decide, now, which projects truly matter. The rest? Let them go.
  • Focus on mentorship that inspires. One brilliant student will amplify your legacy far more than a dozen average ones.

Enough is not failure. It’s focus.

Engineer Deep Work

We thrive in silence. Or we don’t thrive at all.

  • Block off long stretches — 4 hours at a time — for undisturbed thinking. Guard them like your life depends on it. It does.
  • Walk. No devices. Let your mind breathe.
  • Meetings are thieves. Stop them from stealing your attention.

Deep work is sacred. Treat it that way.

Embrace Strategic Minimalism

Complexity is seductive. It’s also a trap.

  • Limit yourself to one major committee role. One.
  • Batch small tasks into designated blocks of time. Then forget them.
  • Delegate. Automate. Free yourself.

Minimalism isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing what matters.

Invest in High-Leverage Actions

Every choice has a cost. Choose wisely.

  • Focus on breakthrough ideas — not incremental work.
  • Mentor independent thinkers who will carry your vision forward.
  • Build real relationships. Not transactions. Not alliances of convenience. Relationships.

Leverage is power. Use it well.

Implementation

Audit your commitments. Write them down. Everything.

Now, cross off half. Literally.

Say no to the merely good. Make room for the extraordinary.

This isn’t just advice for scientists. It’s a blueprint for sanity.

Until next time, have a M.A.G.I.C. Week,

Brian

Appearance

In my most recent conversation with @JordanBPeterson, we explored the deep connections between science, ethics, and religion. I shared my belief that science cannot exist without an ethical framework and that the pursuit of truth and beauty must ultimately serve humanity.

Dr. Peterson offered fascinating critiques of postmodernism, agreeing that we see the world through stories but rejecting power as the primary lens. We also discussed the Drake Equation, materialist atheism as its own belief system, and the foundational role of voluntary self-sacrifice in building community. It was a meaningful exploration of how narrative shapes our understanding of existence. Enjoy!

Genius

As his national funeral unfolds, you’ve probably heard tales of the good deeds of former president Jimmy Carter.

One story that’s gotten surprisingly little attention, though: nearly three-quarters of a century ago, a youthful Carter was brought in during the world’s first nuclear reactor meltdown to lead a toxic cleanup crew, where he led the charge into the hazardous scene.

Image

The President of Chile GabrielBoric arrived at the South Pole last week in some cool Blackhawk helicopters. Here are a couple pictures of them landing and parked with BICEP observatory in the distance.

Conversation

Why haven’t we found aliens yet?

In this video, we explore the Fermi Paradox and the mystery of cosmic silence. Using research from astrophysicist Adam Frank, we examine how planetary evolution could explain our solitude. We’ll also dive into the theory of panspermia — could life have spread from Earth to Mars? Watch to discover the intriguing answers to this cosmic enigma.

Click here to watch!

Advertisement

Since it’s Nobel Prize season, I can’t resist plugging my second book, Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner.

If you’re a STEM professional or aspire to be, I know you’ll love my STEM self-help book, Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner. It’s full of actionable tips from the world’s most brilliant but relatable geniuses. They’ll teach you to overcome the imposter syndrome, collaborate with your competition, and thrive in today’s cutthroat academic environment.

Read the first chapters for free here.

Upcoming Episode

Mike Brown, the renowned CalTech astronomer and author of “How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming,” will be on The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast soon. Brown’s groundbreaking discovery of Eris, initially thought to be larger than Pluto, sparked a scientific revolution that led to the historic reclassification of Pluto from planet to dwarf planet in 2006. His memoir masterfully weaves together the drama of scientific discovery with personal experiences, including caring for his newborn daughter while navigating the worldwide debate about Pluto’s planetary status. What questions do you have for the astronomer who reshaped our understanding of the solar system and proudly embraces his “Pluto Killer” nickname?

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Professor Brian Keating
Professor Brian Keating

Written by Professor Brian Keating

Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor at UC San Diego. Host of The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast Authored: Losing the Nobel Prize & Think like a Nobel Prize Winner

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