Mistake prone researcher

[dallinpd468]

(This is mainly applicable to the biomedical sciences)

I know everybody has days where they drop samples, or pipet something into the wrong tube, or forgets an important step in a protocol, etc.  It just feels like I do this a lot more than my peers, or at least more than what would allow me to make progress at a reasonable pace in a research environment.  I frequently make mistakes that set me back a day or more.  Sometimes this is because I'm going too quickly or cutting corners, and I know I need to do better there.  But there's been plenty of scenarios where I thought I was doing my best and being more careful than necessary, and still messed something up.  I decided a while back to make a spreadsheet to document times I made mistakes like this, how I contained it, why it happened, how to prevent it, etc. and I've been on and off with adding things to it.  I'm not sure if it's helped, a lot of times it feels like there are 10,000 ways to do something wrong and even my best efforts won't prevent most of them.

Does anybody identify with this feeling, and has anyone found ways to overcome this?

[eevee]

Honestly this is a big mood and is part of the reason why I switched to human/clinical (fMRI) research for my PhD after getting super frustrated about not having good enough motor skills to do excellent histology. I know this is probably not the answer you're looking for, but I'm so so so much happier now that all my data is digital -- while *technically* I guess I still have the risk of accidentally deleting files, they're on a server that gets backed up automatically so it's never anywhere near as catastrophic as that heartbreaking moment when you drop a sample. 

I don't know if transitioning into more of a digital or theoretical version of your research is an option for you; if not, just go slow, double-check everything, and literally cross off every step in your protocol. That won't help the issues that come from just being a klutz (no offense, I totally am one too), but it can at least minimize the other 'careless errors.' 

[aurlito]

On 6/9/2019 at 3:36 AM, dallinpd468 said:

(This is mainly applicable to the biomedical sciences)

I know everybody has days where they drop samples, or pipet something into the wrong tube, or forgets an important step in a protocol, etc.  It just feels like I do this a lot more than my peers, or at least more than what would allow me to make progress at a reasonable pace in a research environment.  I frequently make mistakes that set me back a day or more.  Sometimes this is because I'm going too quickly or cutting corners, and I know I need to do better there.  But there's been plenty of scenarios where I thought I was doing my best and being more careful than necessary, and still messed something up.  I decided a while back to make a spreadsheet to document times I made mistakes like this, how I contained it, why it happened, how to prevent it, etc. and I've been on and off with adding things to it.  I'm not sure if it's helped, a lot of times it feels like there are 10,000 ways to do something wrong and even my best efforts won't prevent most of them.

Does anybody identify with this feeling, and has anyone found ways to overcome this?

Your description sounds a little like ADD to me. I suggest seeing a professional/therapist, maybe try cbt ,exercise + meditation or short term medication if needed ??

[Crucial BBQ]

I am going to take another route here and suggest that maybe you are ultimately bored with your research?  Your attempt to track and identify a root cause may just be denial.  Also, cutting corners.