Despite the pandemic, 2020 was a wildly productive year for me academically. A big reason is I took the advice of my mentor, @_MiguelHernan, and as a postdoc & junior faculty said "yes" to every opportunity I could, in order to learn what did and didn't work for me.

Some things I've learned: A
* In person talks & workshops are so energizing to me and can lead to great collaboration opportunities.
* Online talks are draining & make it much harder to network.
* Guest lectures can be fun, but recorded guest lectures are more bang for my buck.

* Doing peer review was a good use of time when I was learning to write & publish papers, but less now I am so busy.
* Pre-prints are a valuable way to get rapid feedback + reduce the pain of publication timelines.
* @UpcycledScience is a great tool for desk drawer papers.

* When collaborating, know your worth & what you bring to the table + know your limits & when to delegate. Don't do work someone else can do (better).
* Ask for what you need when joining projects -- and don't forget that sometimes what you need is money for students / postdocs!

* Collaboration is much much better than competition. If you find out someone else is working on a similar topic, join forces with them or invite the to join forces with you!
* For methods work, disciplinary boundaries are largely arbitrary. Collaborate across fields!

* Students are our most valuable resource. Don't only work with the 'stars': everyone can contribute, you just have to find the right project for each student. You're their teacher, not (just) their boss. Help every student leave with more skills/ knowledge than they came to you.