Quite a lot of things have happened in the past year. The journey of a PhD, I think, goes beyond just earning an academic degree. It involves improving your thinking process, advancing how you look at things, and reshaping your perspective.
I was prompted to write this reflection when I was prompted by the DAYONE App journal daily prompt. Download DAYONE journal today and start creating.
One of the significant changes in my priorities is that I no longer worry about things that are not working. Instead, I focus on things that are working, improve on them, and later, in my free time, diagnose what isn’t working. This shift in focus has made me more efficient and less stressed.
Another change is my growing interest in technology, particularly AI and blockchain. The merging of AI with blockchain technology has sparked my curiosity about future possibilities. Consequently, I now prioritize developing my programming skills. This interest has made my approach to my career more multidisciplinary, as I’ve received citations from various fields. This interdisciplinary exposure has highlighted the importance of integrating knowledge from different disciplines to create more meaningful outcomes.
Personally, I don’t worry as much about my career as I used to. The importance of joy has become more pronounced in my life. Unlike happiness, which is dependent on external circumstances, joy is an internal state that I draw from my faith. This joy sustains me even in difficult times, providing assurance and resilience.
Currently, I am in a season of waiting, where usual activities like work are on pause. This period has allowed me to focus more on self-development and sharing my learnings. I started this journal to document my daily progress and illustrate how these small steps build up over time.
From these experiences, three key lessons emerge:
1. Focus on What Works: Prioritizing and improving what is effective, while diagnosing problems in your free time, leads to greater efficiency and less stress.
2. Embrace Multidisciplinary Approaches: Engaging with multiple fields can provide new insights and foster more meaningful and innovative outcomes.
3. Seek Inner Joy: Cultivating an inner sense of joy, independent of external circumstances, provides resilience and assurance during challenging times.
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