3 things all data scientists should add to the new year’s resolution list

The new year is almost here, and we all know this is the time for new year’s resolutions, which we most likely won’t follow through to the end. This is happening to all of us, you’re not alone. That’s why I recommend that you make a short list containing what you want to do in 2023 since if it’s too long, you and I both know you won’t follow it to the end. My advice is to add only the top 3 things you want to change in your life, for the next year. If there is something really big and important for you, then just make it one single thing you want to change in the next year. In this article, I will describe 3 things I think any data scientist should do in the next year so that they become better professionals and better humans. Furthermore, I will give you an important bonus resolution that you definitely should follow, for your mental health.

Use 1 hour each day to scout for new innovations in the field

Staying in touch with the new innovations in the field is important for any profession if you want to be a top performer. In data science, staying in touch with the new is absolutely required. The field changes at a very fast phase, as data-based AI is being adopted in so many industries right now. And that means a lot of money is being pumped into this field, which, in turn, means that many new things are being created each year.

As a data scientist, you must make a consistent habit to look out for new innovations in the field, which can improve your performance. Things like AutoML, deep learning testing, AI-generated art, and many others are being created and will keep being created year by year. Finding out what innovations that will happen in the future will give you an edge at work and will make you a much better data scientist. It will give you an edge in your work and will make you the preferred choice of employers.

For this purpose, I highly recommend you search out and subscribe to newsletters, publications, and even individual authors such as myself and others so that you can get the latest news in the field. The more sources, the better.

I also recommend creating a new e-mail for subscribing to the various newsletters. I made the mistake of subscribing to them on my personal/work account and now it’s pretty crowded. Learn from my mistake, and make an e-mail just for that. This also increases the safety of your primary e-mail account.

Also, look up new papers being written around the area of data science and machine learning. That’s where new innovations are first written and you can be the first to find them. You can use Google Scholar, IEEE, or any other such publications. It’s your job to find the best way (do let me know if you have a better way of finding new papers).

This being said, stay in touch with the news!

Be more physically active

Physical activity has been proven to have a direct correlation to how well our brain functions, the birth of new neurons in our brain (neurogenesis), and how fast we learn new things.

You may think “Physical activity is what I should do as a data scientist… Really?”. The answer to that is “Yes, really!”.

Every human, from every profession, should add physical activities like cardio and weight lifting to their routine. These activities make your brain better since they improve the rate at which new neurons are born inside your brain. This, in turn, leads to a faster rate of learning, more mental stamina, and overall better performance at the workplace.

This is especially important for data scientists since our work requires deep thinking and the long hours we spend finding ways to solve problems or analyze data.

You may think this advice is irrelevant if you’ve never been physically active. Just trust me on this one — physical activity has a huge impact on your work performance and on your energy levels.

I‘ve’ been physically active my whole life, running, gym and kickboxing. Until around 2 years ago, when I hit a rough patch, combined with the Covid-19 crisis which kept me stuck indoors. Since then, my energy levels have constantly started dropping, and I now have huge trouble focusing on tasks and working long hours. It wasn’t like that when I was practicing sports. I had much more energy and mental stamina.

That’s why my #1 priority for 2023 is to get back into physical activities, which for me will be weightlifting and running, swimming, or fighting (one of them).

I highly advise you to choose at least a sport you should practice, in which you do cardio (meaning high-intensity exercise or sports). It could be riding a bike, running, playing football or other sports, fighting, swimming, etc. Anything that makes your heart pump faster.

If you don't believe me, then at least believe Dr. Jordan Petterson, who also is a great advocate of physical activity and can describe in more detail what cardio and weightlifting do to your brain. Also, here’s a Ted talk if you want to go into more detail. You are a data scientist, so you need proof, I know :).

Start doing physical activity! It will change your life!

Learn to rest and stretch while working

Working hard is good, but working for long hours without breaks is very bad for both you and your productivity. If you are set on being the most productive version of yourself, you need to learn how to rest during your work hours.

We are all more productive in the first hours we work. This is true both for early risers who wake up at 6 AM and for night owls, who are more productive during the night hours.

There is, however, a trick that can keep that productivity from falling down too much. It’s called the Pomodoro Technique. This technique says that you should study for around 25 minutes, and then take a 5 minutes break to do whatever you really enjoy doing. This way, your productivity is steady, no matter how many hours your work.

I would recommend reading this technique and adapting it to yourself. You may find out that working for 45 minutes with a 5-minute break works for you. If so, use it this way. Or any other way that best fits you.

Here is an interesting lecture given by Marty Lobdell, in which he teaches you more about why you should rest while working.

I also recommend that in the first 30 seconds to 1 minute of that break, you rise up and stretch a bit. Especially your hands and hands joints. I developed a problem in the past due to the long hours I spend on the computer, which is hand joint pain. The way to remedy this is to stretch your hand joints often and even get a tool that helps you keep your hands and joints in shape. I, for one, have a small ball that I squeeze while sitting at the PC. It’s always near me, on my desk, so I use it daily.

Make these habits as part of your 2023 resolution, and you won’t regret it!

Bonus: Spend time with your family and close friends

Most of us have been there… spending too much time on our careers and side hustles and hobbies, and not enough time with our family and loved ones. This is a very bad thing to do… even if most of us do it.

Remember, the people inside your life will eventually die. It sucks, and maybe I am making you depressed… but it’s extremely true. They may die tomorrow, in 10 years, or in 50 years. And don’t think age has anything to do with it. It happens. It may be due to an accident, a sudden stroke, a fast-developing disease… suicide, or who knows what. Today they may be a 30 minutes ride away, while tomorrow they may be… unreachable forever.

Do spend time with your loved ones, every day, every week, as often as you can.

This will not only make you enjoy life more, but it will also have a positive impact on your mental well-being, which, in turn, will increase your work productivity. Because a human being that is happy does everything better.

Conclusion

The new year is upon us, so be sure to make a short list that you can follow through this year. No unimportant things, just the critical, top 3 things you wish to change or add to your life. I hope some of the points above will also be included, and that they will help you lead a more productive and better life — both personally, and professionally as a data scientist.