1. How to decide if you are going to abandon a project/experiment & move on. A short thread w/ basic guidelines. First, have a plan B (...& C...& D) much harder to move on if you don't have an alternative. Discuss & have these alternatives ready at the outset just in case. https://twitter.com/deneke_v/status/1264120734978322432

2. Know you are susceptible to sunk cost fallacy & escalation of commitment. It is helpful to expect yourself to be irrational about such decisions. This means setting up a plan & timelines at the outset when you are MORE rational. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escalation_of_commitment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_cost 

3. Have a clear set of benchmarks. Think of the worst case scenario, what is the latest date by which your funding/career can tolerate a goal being achieved. What is the minimum progress (weekly, monthly, yearly) required to get you there. WRITE THIS DOWN & hang above your desk.

4. Be brutally honest abut how long things will take to finish. If you are not sure ask someone w/ experience. Assume things will always take longer & plan accordingly. Usually in science progress doesnt magically accelerate, if it has been slow it will likely continue to be slow

5. Keep track of time. Write down the benchmarks on a calendar. You want to be flexible w/ timelines because you never know how long things will take. But you want to be AWARE of the effect each delay has on the entire timeline, this will impact your decision whether to continue

6. Do a cost benefit analysis at the outset. Sure you might eventually get an experiment to work but if it will take you 2 more years & you are on year 4 of your post doc it might not be a good idea. HOWEVER, this doesn't mean you should stop doing fun impractical experiments!

7. Build a collection of people you can consult w/ that you trust & that can advise your decision to stop or change direction. Make sure these people are aware of your degree of risk tolerance & give you advice based on your individual timelines, your perspective, your goals.

8. The history of science is full of those who persisted in doing things even after everyone told them to stop & did great things. This mythology is both an amazing inspiration & a toxic trap. Textbooks don't list the many people who sacrificed their career by persisting & failed