Hey Reader.

Let’s talk about making mistakes today.

No, really, keep reading. It’s not about you!

Just after I graduated from my first degree - in my mid-twenties, I was offered and accepted a PhD scholarship at the same university. It was a topic consequent to my undergraduate dissertation, working with people I loved, and it seemed too good to be true.

(There is a lesson there, btw: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Anyway, I digress)

Eighteen months in, I was still wading around in all the possibilities. I had a couple of positioning conference papers presented, but honestly, I wasn’t much further forward with defining an appropriate research question.

We might blame an inexperienced supervisor, an unfocused research student, or an environment that rewarded ‘exploration’ rather than progress. Whatever it was, it didn’t get me very far.

So when all the postgrad funding was cut in the Faculty, I was out on the streets, CV in hand.

Because I wasn’t all that far forward, no other university wanted me with that topic, so I went back to ‘industry’.

Tail between my legs.
Convinced that my deputy head at school was right, and ‘academia’ really wasn’t for me.
Resigned to a life in ‘corporate’, even though I knew I was useless at the 9-5 and couldn’t wear a grey suit for anyone. (This was early 00’s; life was a bit different then ;) )

It took me years to recover, to find my way in ‘corporate life’ and to regain some semblance of confidence.

Why am I telling this story, Reader? Because I suspect you can relate to the concept of a false start, somehow.

But, you know, without that brief interlude in my life, I wouldn’t have developed the resilience, bloody-mindedness, and patience that was necessary when I ended up having another go at a PhD, some fifteen years later. (That’s the one I did finish!).

I believe everything in life has a purpose. Your mistakes do too.

I discuss some of the lessons I learned in today's episode of the PhD Liferaft Podcast. It's a reflection on PhD life, and especially on working with your supervisor. Here’s the link—have a listen!

I’d love to know if the podcast strikes a nerve for you. Hit reply and let me know your thoughts.

Always in your corner,