All my tasks for the semester are done, save for one. I had a bunch of things hanging over my head for the past few months and all of them are out of the way now. The one that remains is probably the most important and its not something I can get out of the way in the short-term.
Finishing all the other tasks should have brought a sense of relief, but I don't feel any. I was nervous about finishing those tasks, but when I finished them it was an anti-climax. There was one essay that I spent an inordinate amount of time over, time which could have been better spent on my PhD research. Its not that I realized this mistake in hindsight. I was fully aware that I was giving it too much time even as I was doing it. But, I got swept up in it and found it difficult to extricate myself. I really enjoyed writing the essay for the most part, although the end was a bit of a slog. I was not entirely happy with the end-result but wasn't prepared to spend more time over it. Being engaged in research entails striking a continuous balance between passion and pragmatism and sometimes one prevails over the other. And, its more fun to err on the side of passion rather than pragmatism.
Now, my plate is clear to focus on the crucial task before me--preparing for my interviews. I am going to try to take it easy and enjoy the process as much as possible. I have discovered that the workload doesn't really ease up that much at any stage of a three-year PhD so its best to pace oneself and enjoy the ride. There is no use in trying to get ahead of the workload by throwing yourself in it because there will always be something else to do after you finish.
Finishing all the other tasks should have brought a sense of relief, but I don't feel any. I was nervous about finishing those tasks, but when I finished them it was an anti-climax. There was one essay that I spent an inordinate amount of time over, time which could have been better spent on my PhD research. Its not that I realized this mistake in hindsight. I was fully aware that I was giving it too much time even as I was doing it. But, I got swept up in it and found it difficult to extricate myself. I really enjoyed writing the essay for the most part, although the end was a bit of a slog. I was not entirely happy with the end-result but wasn't prepared to spend more time over it. Being engaged in research entails striking a continuous balance between passion and pragmatism and sometimes one prevails over the other. And, its more fun to err on the side of passion rather than pragmatism.
Now, my plate is clear to focus on the crucial task before me--preparing for my interviews. I am going to try to take it easy and enjoy the process as much as possible. I have discovered that the workload doesn't really ease up that much at any stage of a three-year PhD so its best to pace oneself and enjoy the ride. There is no use in trying to get ahead of the workload by throwing yourself in it because there will always be something else to do after you finish.
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