ABSTRACT
To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time. One always tried to deal with the unexpected or the unwelcome of course, but the trick is to try and ensure that a similar situation does not repeat itself. One of the gradually increasing requirements for a successful research grant proposal is sufficient preliminary data to convince the funding agency’s committee members that the risks of failure in the work are well contained. Of course, there will, or should be, some risks about a proposal, otherwise the work is going to be so unadventurous as to not get funded either. As a mentor to various people over the years, especially those at a career ceiling, one needs to invite the person, the mentee, to develop new insights into their mode of working. A time analysis can be informative.
