Doing a PhD can be a feel a bit like groundhog day. The same thing, day in and day out.

It soon gets tedious.

For many, the length of a PhD can be overwhelming. The thought of doing the same thing day in and day out for the next two, three, four or even five more years can feel disheartening, to say the least.

With good reason. Focusing on this micro-perspective can make it seem like there is no end in sight. 

So, it’s important to distinguish the micro from the macro level.

Sure, the micro-level can be tedious. It will be repetitive, and it will be a hard grind.

But there is a macro perspective to consider too.

The macro perspective is more exciting, and serves as an umbrella under which the day-to-day grind sits.

The macro level should be your reason for getting out of bed in the morning, even when the day isn’t particularly inspiring.

It involves you thinking about the bigger picture – where you want to end up, say, in a months, terms or years time. It’ll involve you sitting down to think about what milestones you want to hit, what your writing plan is, or what steps you need to take to end up where you want to be.

So if you find yourself bogged down by the nitty-gritty of the PhD, take a step back and ask yourself if you’re working towards a bigger goal. If you’re not, spend some time finding that perspective – it’ll give each day more meaning. 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Hello, Doctor…

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