One of the most difficult parts of crossing the finish line of one race is convincing yourself to keep running to the starting line of the next one. After nine months of preparation and thousands of pages of rereading I was ready for a break. I had just passed my qualifying exams (no small task), my wife was readying for her holiday time off, and we were looking forward to spending time together as a family again. So many ways that I could reward myself for a job well done. I’d worked so hard so I deserved a break. Why not? I’d “earned” it.
While I certainly think I’ve “earned it,” a break really isn’t in the cards at the moment. I’m not really certain of the demographic that reads this blog (though I’d be interested to know) but if you’re a student I have some news for you: you are what you eat. Totally cliche, I know, but what it lacks in originality it gains in simplicity. One of the things that I’ve learned about myself and my own strengths and interests is that the best work I can do (in a research, creative, or academic sense) is based on what I enjoy anyway. I think graduate programs, at their best, allow the students to combine their own interests within predefined disciplines in order to expand and improve them. The next research project I take on probably won’t be about yacht racing (is there such a thing?) because it doesn’t interest me. This is a fortunate situation because it means that when I scan the internet for posts I find interesting I am actually conducting research for my next research project or creative work (often without even knowing it). This allows a “break” to truly be “work.” It is not the most streamlined and linear type of work though. You don’t have much to show for it (and at the end of the day you always have to have something to show for it). Next time I’ll be talking about getting yourself to really start running that next race (with some breaks in between). For now just relax: you’ve earned it.