This article is also available on my LinkedIn newsletter, Doctorate Done Differently

About this time last year, I decided my next year would be simpler.

Life had become far too complicated. I was dealing with competing priorities, constant stress, and a brain that never stopped spinning.

So one night, as I lay in the bath, I said to my husband:

“My word of the year is simplify.”

He looked at me like I’d lost my mind and declared it a load of rubbish.
Ah well. I’ve always done things my way.

There was no vision board, no Pinterest-perfect plan.
Life was too busy for pretty.
But the word simplify sat quietly in my mind like a compass point, not a to-do list.

And somehow, it worked.
A year later, many of the things that felt tangled have quietly fallen away.
Life isn’t perfect, but it’s clearer.

A direction, not a demand

That experience taught me something I now remind my doctoral mentees of often:
Progress doesn’t always come from working harder; it comes from staying steady in the right direction.

We map the direction, simplify the plan, and take the next small step.
No hustle. No guilt. Just consistent, grounded progress.

Then, one day, another chapter appears on the page.
Another piece of analysis is done.
Another supervisory meeting is handled calmly.
And eventually, the final “Submit” button is pressed.

Simplify your doctorate

If your doctorate currently feels messy and complex, maybe it’s time to simplify.
Not by doing less, but by doing fewer things better.
Clarity is often the quietest form of confidence.

🍂 A gentle challenge

As the leaves turn and the year winds down, perhaps choose your own guiding word.
Not a task, not a target – just a direction.

What might it be?
Simplify?
Finish?
Submit?

Whatever it is, hold it lightly and let it guide you.

If reflections like this help you think differently about your work, you’ll love my weekly emails. They’re short notes on calm confidence, steady progress, and finishing well. Sign up below.