A Lot Of Little Steps

Today is my birthday and I’m old.

How did I get here? My beard is turning grey, various joints ache and I still have a moment of confusion now and then that I don’t look as I expect in the mirror.

Seriously, how did this happen?!

As the title of this post suggests, through a lot of little steps. Birthdays come around and burst the bubble that we’re not changing, but the path from last year to this was many little steps along the way.

The same is true for the PhD journey. How did you get to where you are now?

Through a lot of little steps.

You worked, you thought, you reflected, you worked some more, you wrote some things, you talked, you grew and developed and became someone very similar to who you were at the start and also a little bit different. That’s how you got this far.

It’s how you’ll get to your viva too. You don’t have to take one big leap to be ready: you take a lot of little steps to read, review, reflect, release and re-orient your thinking before you meet your examiners.

I should add, by the way, that despite my gripes at the top of this post, all of my little steps have lead me to a place where I am happy, with a wonderful family, a happy home and work that fulfils me and helps others. What more could I ask for on my birthday? 🙂

It’s also my annual custom to offer an age-related discount to some of my paid resources on my birthday. However a 44% discount sounded odd, appropriate as it may be – so let’s round it up to 50%!

Until Friday 31st January 2025 you can find the Viva Help Bundle for half price. The sale runs automatically, there’s no code to enter or anything like that. If you like the look of it, please take advantage of this sale now. Thanks for reading 🙂