It’s 2020!!!! Yes you made it to a new year. And as much as you may want to believe that things will not be different this year however I challenge you to let them be bigger and better than you could have ever imagined.
Please do not believe that as a graduate student this year is destined to doom and disaster. It’s not. You totally have the power create more positive experiences this year both professionally and personally.
One of the ways that you can achieve this is through incorporating strategy into this year, semester by semester, and week by week. Universities, businesses, and even non-profit organizations at some frequency spend time to decide on their focus and operational goals for a given period (usually a year) and then map out how to best strategically achieve these goals. Typically, this is in the form of a strategic plan.
So if these organizations can do this and it helps with their success, why shouldn’t you?
Let’s consider. What are the departmental milestones that you have upcoming this year? What are the papers or chapters that you want to write and submit? What are the experiments or practicums that you need to complete? And importantly, what personal goals or goals outside of your program do you have for your life?
Goals are important to set but more important is to set goals that are realistic and achievable.
For example, is it really going to be possible to write and submit 3 papers in the spring, workout daily, do 10 hours of volunteer and outreach each week, serve on the student GSA, and pass your qualifying exam…in 4 months? Fill in your own blanks here and then take a moment to assess what is truly feasible for you. It’s critical to stay on task with your overall program milestones and path to degree, but importantly your mental, emotional, and physical well-being also needs to be taken care of. Suffering in these areas will only lend to not achieving many of the goals that you have set or achieving goals at the expense of increased suffering. Neither of these are options.
So let’s take the time to create a realistic and strategic plan for 2020 that will allow you to achieve your most important goals professionally and personally. Follow these short steps below:
- Download this template.
- Spend an hour drafting your plan for this Spring 2020 semester (or quarter). For now, only focus on goals for the spring and do so considering any other major department milestones (e.g., independent proposal, 2nd year talk…) that are projected to happen by the end of 2020. Essentially, work backwards to make sure the spring keeps you on track.
- Schedule a time with your research advisor, dissertation chair, or primary mentor overseeing your dissertation to discuss the plan. Email them the draft in advance.
- Meet with your research advisor or dissertation chair and seek feedback on the alignment of your goals with theirs and also how realistic your plan and timelines are.
- Update your plan accordingly and print a couple of copies that list the project goals, tasks and start/end dates…one that you can post where you spend most of your time working (it’s okay if other’s see it…accountability will help with the implementation) and another that you keep in your binder, laptop case, or something you carry daily in case you need for a quick reference.
- Start EXECUTING the plan immediately.
- Pull up the plan at the beginning and end of each week to track your progress.
Now understand that this plan is not a big laundry list of to-do’s and hundreds of small tasks. Let’s avoid that because we do not want a plan that is too much and is quick for you to become overwhelmed and decide to give up. Or a plan that you just focus on minor tasks that yes you can do and complete, but that ultimately are not moving you forward at the pace that you want to complete your degree and move on.
Also know that it is OK if you do not complete everything you planned each week or you have to adjust your goals (take some off completely, or adjust the timing). The main thing here is that you know how to spend your time, you have set realistic goals so that you should have progress and a way to measure that progress each week, and when necessary, you (perhaps with the help and guidance of your advisor or mentor) can make tweaks that will give you plenty of room to breath and take care of your personal goals, while winning in your doctoral program.
Give it a try.
2020 is your year to win more all around in your life and this plan will help you get off to the right start.
