#zettel #creating #thinking sourced from: conversation with Yuefeng about my work on [[2025-04-29]] # The PhD is Learning How to Justify Your Work One of the toughest realities I have to grapple with is that results take time. Results are not the goal of the PhD, understanding the process of obtaining any results, good or bad, is the PhD. The PhD is about learning what it means to have results, to understand if they're correct or not, and to think about how you know if they're right or not. I often am so focused on results and details, that I fail to see the bigger picture: thinking about why I am doing what I am doing. It's important to consider why I am doing what I am doing. So it's okay if I take time and don't have results every group meeting. I need to plan out how I want to approach a problem and accept that this process might take a couple months, and I have to be okay with that. ## Related Thoughts: - Much like the PhD, art is about the process of creating. We are so concerned about what it means to have art, that we do not consider what it takes to create art. - Because I am still in my PhD, I need to be willing to accept that I may make mistakes and that I will need guidance and course correction. Yuefeng mentioned that he and Dr. He both appreciate the fact that I'm very receptive to feedback and that I don't take things personally. How can I? I am in a space where I am present to learn. - [[I Want to Be Better at Starting and Sticking to Long Term Projects]]