When you tell people you’re doing a PhD, they probably think that what’s required to complete one is a superhuman intellect.
But it’s not. The key attribute to succeeding isn’t brains, or even creativity. You need them, for sure, but they’re not key.
No, the key attribute is being able to deal with failure. It’s being able to show up each day riddled by the plague of defeat and uncertainty and keep putting the hours in, even if you’re not sure you’re on the right track or that what you’re doing will lead anywhere. It’s failing over and over again and each time ending up more committed.
In your PhD you’ll fail at lots of things many times. The further you go through the journey the more you’ll fail and the higher the stakes will be. Those who make it to the end are those who can pick themselves up, learn from the hardship and carry on more determined than before.
Keep failing, keep messing up and keep making mistakes, but be kind to yourself while you do so.
Keep doing that and you’l be a Doctor in no time.
Good luck and have a great weekend.
