Initially published for a Doctoral Newsletter at The Gordon Institute of Business Science.

I underestimated the work, time and discipline required to advance the frontiers of knowledge.

Working through my proposal has taken longer than I anticipated. I had always moved through life quickly. Early on, I did first grade, skipped second, and advanced to third grade. Later on, after my undergraduate degree, I got an internship and moved to management within 3 months. So when I decided to start my Doctoral journey, I figured it would be an iteration of what I had been doing; I would get in, skip a grade and advance straight to Dr Kambikambi.

Your first drafts do not even begin to scratch the surface of good enough

However, I underestimated the work, time and discipline required to advance the frontiers of knowledge. There are no shortcuts. I have to think about every thought, write each line, and then do it repeatedly because your first drafts do not even begin to scratch the surface of good enough. Needless to say, undertaking this journey has made me rethink my story. Now I move slowly in life; it takes me two years to think through ideas, and even after that, I ask for help. So wherever you are on this fantastical journey, I hope you embrace the person you’ve become. I suspect they are dramatically more humble than the person who began the journey.

Happy writing!