This post is based on Dr Rowena Senior’s brilliant workshop on courage-based planning that I attended at the 2025 International Creative Research Methods Conference. The approach transformed how I think about research planning, and I wanted to share it with you.

The Problem with Traditional Planning

You know the drill: set a deadline, work backwards, execute tasks. Simple, right? Except research isn’t simple. Research involves self-doubt days, energy crashes, unexpected breakthroughs, emotional complexity, and competing demands. None of which fit neatly into a Gantt chart.

What if planning could work with this reality instead of pretending it doesn’t exist?

Starting with What Actually Matters

Following Dr Rowena Senior’s approach, I’ve started asking people to begin with values rather than deadlines. And I don’t mean in a fluffy, motivational-poster way. I mean really thinking about what matters most deeply to you and how that connects to your research.

When your research connects to your values:

  • Motivation becomes internal, not just external
  • Challenges feel more bearable because your purpose is clear
  • Decisions become easier because they’re aligned with what matters
  • Success feels meaningful, not just accomplished

Research sustained by values outlasts research driven by “should”.

Try This: Values Reflection

Here are some prompts to help you identify your values:

Mountaintop experience: Think about a moment in your research when you felt most joyful, exuberant, or free. What were you doing? Who were you with? What made it meaningful?

Future vision: Imagine yourself presenting at your dream conference in 5 years. What is your keynote about? What impact do you want your research to have? Who is in the audience and why does it matter to them?

Time without constraints: What would you do with your time if you no longer needed to work to earn money? How might this connect to your research interests?

People you admire: Who are two people you most admire? What qualities do you see in them? How might these qualities show up in your research practice?

Strength through challenge: Think about a research challenge you’ve overcome. What strengths did you exhibit? What values were you honouring when you persevered?

The answers often reveal what you value: maybe it’s collaboration, creativity, making a tangible difference, or intellectual freedom. These aren’t just nice-to-haves – they’re the fuel that keeps you going when things get tough.

Courage-Based Planning: A Different Approach

After years of working with researchers (and being one myself), I’ve found courage-based planning to be transformative. It’s based on a few key principles:

  • It moves away from linear, time-only approaches
  • It’s based on resources available to you right now (time + energy + emotional state)
  • It’s led by your values and intentions
  • The goal is defined by how you feel, not just what you accomplish

The goal isn’t to ignore time constraints – it’s to honour your whole self within those constraints.

The Five-Step Process

Here’s how it works in practice:

1. Choose a goal (connected to your values)

Start with your reflections and pick ONE goal. Keep it achievable in less than 30 days for your first try. Make it specific enough to break into actions.

Examples: finish a chapter, design a survey, schedule participant interviews, build a website, write a conference abstract.

2. Brain dump ALL actions

Write down every single action needed to complete your goal. And I mean everything. The rules are simple:

  • No censoring
  • No judging
  • No crossing out
  • Break things into the smallest possible steps
  • Aim for 20-30 actions

If you think “but that’s obvious” – WRITE IT DOWN. The obvious stuff is often the easiest to forget.

If you’re stuck, try using Magic To Do from Goblin Tools to help break down your goal.

3. Rate each action by difficulty

Go through your list and mark each action:

  • E = Easy (I know what to do + I’m happy to do it)
  • D = Doable (I know what to do + it feels like a stretch)
  • U = Uncertain (Not sure what I need to do or if I can)
  • R = Risky (No idea what needs doing or how to do it)

Be honest. Your rating is personal – what’s easy for someone else might be risky for you.

Example: Write Methods Chapter

Easy

  • Re-read methods from paper draft
  • Find template from style guide
  • Review supervisor’s previous feedback

Doable

  • Write 300-word rationale for methodology
  • Create outline of methods chapter sections
  • Draft participant recruitment section

Uncertain

  • Explain epistemological positioning
  • Write about data analysis procedures

Risky

  • Justify entire methodological approach

See how breaking it down makes it manageable?

4. Choose strategically from different levels

This is the clever bit. Don’t just start at the top of your list. Instead:

  • Pick ONE action from EASY → Do within 24 hours
  • Pick TWO actions from DOABLE → Do within 1 week

And here’s the non-negotiable part: for EACH action, choose a SPECIFIC reward.

5. REWARD yourself

I can’t stress this enough: rewards are not optional. They’re strategic brain training. Your brain learns: COMPLETION = POSITIVE FEELING. This creates momentum for sustainable work.

Reward ideas: favourite coffee from a good café, an episode of your show (guilt-free!), a 30-minute walk in nature, a video call with a friend, buying that book you’ve wanted, sleeping in at the weekend, a special meal.

Why Rewards Matter

Common objections:

  • ❌ “I’ll reward myself when I finish everything”
  • ❌ “I don’t have time for rewards”
  • ❌ “Rewards are self-indulgent”

Reality:

  • ✓ Rewards are strategic brain training
  • ✓ Rewards make the next action easier to start
  • ✓ Rewards honour your effort and progress

Your brain learns: COMPLETION = POSITIVE FEELING. This creates momentum for sustainable work. Five minutes of joy is an investment in future productivity.

Why This Works

This approach:

  • Allows space for emotions (they’re data, not obstacles)
  • Allows space for self-doubt (it’s part of growth)
  • Makes room for unexpected brilliant leaps forward
  • Facilitates supportive accountability (not shame-based)
  • Enables you to see progress and lessons learnt
  • Reduces overwhelm and feeling stuck

The result? More sustainable, more authentic, more joyful research.

Building a Sustainable Practice

Every week:

  • Complete your 3 actions
  • Actually take your rewards
  • Choose 3 NEW actions (1 easy + 2 doable)
  • Celebrate what you learnt

If you face a challenge:

  • REPLAN (break actions down more)
  • REFLECT (what made it hard?)
  • REACH OUT (ask for support)

Don’t abandon – adapt!

A Note for Neurodivergent Researchers

If you have ADHD or executive function differences, this approach can be particularly helpful:

The “getting started” reward: Reward yourself for BEGINNING a task, not just completing it. Example: “I opened the document” = reward!

Immediate > Delayed: Take rewards within minutes of completion, not “later today”. Your brain needs the dopamine connection NOW.

Novelty keeps rewards working: Rotate your rewards regularly – the same coffee gets boring. Keep a “reward menu” with 10-15 options.

Body doubling counts as action: “Work alongside someone for 25 min” can be an EASY action. Virtual co-working sessions are valid work strategies.

Match rewards to your sensory needs: Quiet time, stimming tools, special interest time, sensory breaks.

Visual progress tracking: Crossing things off a physical list releases dopamine. Try stickers, coloured highlighters, progress bars.

Moving Forward

Your values guide what matters. Values give you permission to say no to things that don’t align.

Start where you are, with what you have. Some days you have energy for DOABLE. Other days, choose EASY. Both matter.

Celebrate everything. Progress ≠ perfection. Every action completed is growth.

Replan generously. Getting stuck doesn’t mean failure—it means new information. Adjust and keep going.

This approach honours that you are a whole person, not just a productivity machine. Your research is more sustainable when it aligns with your values and respects your humanity. You don’t have to choose between excellent work and personal wellbeing. Courage-based planning makes space for both.