Persistence - and the lack of it?

Thanks guys! 320 reads by now, wow: that's way more than I ever expected! Please tell me, who are you? Don't be shy to comment :)!

Tonight I thought to write a short comment on persistence. This is what I heard from a good friend at the uni: talent=10% and persistence is 90% of the work, and the possibility of getting your PhD done one day.

Trust me. This is truly something I struggle with! And no, I don't think I can blame my parents for my difficulties - they provided me a childhood where I could get almost anything (my older sister says I was a princess in her eyes, which probably is partly true) but it really comes down to my own personality. I must say this is not one of my natural characteristics. I really want things easy. I want to feel content, I do not like uncomfort and feeling of being on the edge. Nope, I am truly a comfort-looking person and selfish in that I think the world is there to satisfy all my needs.

Well, making a PhD is not what I just described. There are days you feel you have no idea if any of what you are doing is any good (you are in the end the only expert in your business, and nobody else knows whether you are in the right track or not). You have moments of desperation when you feel like you want to quit right that moment and do something "more important". I bet I am not the only one who's struggling with this kind of thoughts.

In the end I have chosen this path. I have voluntarily accepted of working long hours for very little money. And there is lots of talk out there on how in Finland the number of unemployed doctors is continuing to grow. So I ask, where does the motivation come from?

About time I give some constructive tips on how to deal with this:

1. Do not listen to your negative thoughts

We experience many thoughts at all times. They come and go. When you decide to do something, there is no point listening to the thougths that go against that plan. So, don't give these kind of thoughts too much power!

2. Remember to remind yourself that you have already gotten so far, and that was by your own means!

There is nobody (except maybe sometimes your mum) who will tell you how great you are and that you are making progress. Take a habit of looking at your accomplishments - no matter how small they may feel to you. Embrace all of them, or write them down, even. You are the person who has brought yourself to this point, and it has taken a lot of work!

3. It's ok not to be productive all the time

When you read facebook, talk to people and observe: everyone around you appears so productive! They have families to raise, they are great at their jobs, they have several demanding hobbies (and they look great too!). This is not necessarily true. It is common to people to give a good impression on themselves. When you are putting all your efforts in your work, it sometimes feels as if you are not as productive or as successfull as everyone else. So first of all, this is not necessarily the case, and being hard on yourself is not helping you to accomplish anything. So it's ok - your work is progressing, and you are doing well, although you may not always notice it.