Jonathan Pearson recently blogged a great piece called “3 signs you need to find another place“.
I’ll just give the three headings again, reading the original post is highly encouraged.
1. Your current place is draining you rather than fulfilling you.
2. You’re giving your current place only half effort.
3. Your current place is affecting your family life.
We live in a society where quitting is frowned upon, whereas, paradoxically enough, fresh starts are seen positively. It is quite interesting that this post comes only two days after encouragements to push through from the same blog.
Both views are, of course, compatible. There are moments when it is time to leave, but it shouldn’t be following a temporary rough patch. The three signs are actually a very good way of seeing whether it is just a rough patch or something more serious worth investigating.
I went into academia because it was the natural thing to do. I started off with maths and kept giving it my all till 5th year of uni. Then I realised that I wasn’t thrilled by maths and turned to education. Looking back, what then felt as a natural and perfectly valid transition was a change effected by a desire to leave. Educational research… well, I gave it my all for the first two years, but now, on a PhD course, I find myself agreeing with all three bullet points.
Research isn’t my calling. It doesn’t mean that it wasn’t my calling before, nor that completing a PhD wasn’t my calling to start off with. It means, however, that it is time for me to, indeed, find another place. Time for me to start looking for different directions for after the PhD.
God equips those he calls.
This blog, in itself, is currently where I’m at. I feel blessed to be able to write and share posts with… well, with you :) and this is something I find both fulfilling and challenging. So thanks for your readership!
