Hello!
It has been around a year since I joined the Laboratory for Bone Biomechanics as a Doctoral student. I am blown away by how much I have grown personally and professionally since then, even though I had been in the group as a master’s student. In this post, I would like to expand on four learning experiences that have been exceptionally insightful and impactful in my perspective in life and my personal goals:
1. Appreciate the personal commitment
2. Focus on the bigger picture
4. Being consistent and resilient
1. Appreciate the personal commitment
My first realisation is that, despite working in a team and a rather large group, carrying out a doctoral project is ultimately a personal effort. There is an infrastructure available to empower our work, but the ability to plan, strategise and execute our ideas must come from within. At its core, this concept can be liberating, given the sense of freedom to advance within the context of the project we are part of, but also overwhelming as (at least for me) it is the first time a solid long-term plan of action is necessary. This experience pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I believe it has tremendously expanded my ability to be strategic and identify which (scientific) questions to answer and my perspective on the relevance of the work and mission we are pursuing.
Furthermore, such a personal endeavour creates an additional layer of accountability regarding our long-term growth. By identifying the areas we want to investigate, we may also highlight topics where we lack the necessary technical knowledge to carry out a study effectively. If we consider our career goals, aligning our doctoral project with the domains we want to specialise in seems an efficient way of developing the skills we want and need to reach a successful ending.
At last, as science can be unpredictable, it is imperative to emphasise the importance of perseverance. There will often be unforeseen, daunting challenges, and I genuinely believe that working on a perseverant mindset is essential to navigate these moments and stay positive until we sort out a way to solve our difficulties. For instance, being grateful for so many positive aspects of our circumstances in such moments of struggle makes them much more manageable.
2. Focus on the bigger picture
Next, still in the context of perspective, I believe it is vital to keep in mind the mission of our work. An interdisciplinary team carrying out a long, complex project will inevitably face difficulties and internal conflicts. By staying aligned to the Why of the project (#SimonSinek), it’s easier to stay united and have a more sensible approach to solve our problems, especially when the tone of the arguments intensifies.
For the short-sighted, every battle can feel like the whole war.
Furthermore, I genuinely believe in the importance of teamwork. At ETH, doctoral studies have a maximum duration of six years, and I have observed that this can lead to some self-centred behaviour where doctoral students focus on advancing their own work, potentially neglecting opportunities to support team members when there is no apparent return of investment. I disagree with this idea but recognise there must be a balance in the amount of time we can allocate to others. By reliably being available to support our team members, I genuinely believe that we promote unity and trust within the team and empower the overall goal we want to achieve.
3. Clear communication is key
Another point of relevance is communication. Our ability to put our thoughts and work into words is the foundation for successful interactions with peers. Nonetheless, being transparent and understandable is still a challenge and a critical one worth developing. Focusing on the interactions that often arise in a team, I believe that clearly sharing our arguments and honest motivations behind certain decisions is the way to build trust and promote empathy. Similarly, focusing on science communication, making our presentations understandable to an audience with a broader background is a great way to seed potential collaborations or receive unexpected yet helpful feedback.
To me, this is certainly a topic I value and intend to keep developing throughout my journey. For instance, as I attend different scientific talks and participate in discussions, I try to notice which techniques people use to make their points effectively. Furthermore, I also acknowledge the value of workshops to learn and practice such techniques (here is a previous post where I share one experience that I found particularly valuable).
4. Being consistent and resilient
Finally, I would like to emphasise the importance of consistency and resilience in my daily life. For many years, I have noticed that establishing realistic routines for my work and life has helped me stay on track and achieve my goals. These findings have become even more valid in my current position, given the challenges associated with the work.
By being consistent, I’m referring, for instance, to setting and respecting the times where I intend to carry out a specific task (such as a literature review or studying for courses), the number of hours I work per day or even general life habits (such as eating, sleeping, exercising, or pursuing personal hobbies). Consistency leads to stability which is essential for me to reach a productive state of mind.
“We are what we repeatedly do.” - Aristotle
By being resilient, I acknowledge that not all tasks will be exciting or exceptionally motivating but are still essential and worth executing (or even indispensable). Therefore, resilience gives the perspective to face these moments as necessary (and temporary), minimise procrastination and still make progress, even if in little steps.
Furthermore, I believe these skills can be developed. Long-distance running is one technique I particularly enjoy to mentally train myself to sustain a state of effort for a long time and deal with the challenges I face along the way. Ultimately, I think these practices have an overall positive impact on my daily life.
Conclusion
These are some of the learning experiences that have shaped me over the last months, and I am excited to continue this journey and uncover more valuable insights along the way. Please feel free to share what have been the most impactful moments of your life over the last year!
Have a great day!
Acknowledgments
Image by Colton Duke on Unsplash