Writer's Block

I haven't had writer's block in ages. The past few days have not been terribly productive, but today it felt like I hit a wall. I couldn't write more than a few sentences in the whole day, and decided to come back home from uni early. I can't remember the last time I did that. Yes, some days are more productive than others but I rarely throw in the towel before 5 pm. I am trying not to read too much it. Seeing it as a personal failure or a sign that I am losing interest in my research. Everyone has off days and some of days are more off than others. I am coming back from a holiday to what is to be the start of the final year of my PhD. This is the year when I will have to work harder than I ever have. It is exciting but also intimidating. I don't feel like I was lazy for the first two years of my PhD. While I haven't been super-productive I like to think that my accomplishments have been reasonable. But, personal growth is about eclipsing your own prior achievements, pushing yourself further than you ever thought possible without running yourself into the ground. The challenge is to do both. I have learned a lot about myself in the past two years, particularly on the personal front but also on the professional front. I feel like I am equal to the task before me and I have the tools to cope with the stresses that the task, as enjoyable as it is, will generate.