Just because your PhD isn’t perfect, that doesn’t mean it’s a failure.
You may try and convince yourself otherwise, but a few mistakes here and there or a research design flaw or two isn’t the end of the world.
I sympathise though, I really do.
Like me, you’re probably a perfectionist. So you probably know the struggle of trying to make sure everything is perfect. But you also know the panic that sets in when you realise you’ve made a mistake.
You’ll also recognise how the importance of that mistake escalates. In your eyes, it isn’t just a mistake. It’s the end of the world.
Let me give you an example. Currently, I’m rewriting one of the pages on my webpage. It’s the main proofreading information page, so it’s important in the context of my business as a whole.
So, I’m rightly spending a lot of time making sure it’s as good as it can be. But, if I’m not careful, I can convince myself that just because it isn’t perfect from a copywriting or marketing perspective, then no one is going to be interested and I’m not going to make any sales. It’s crazy, but you can probably relate from your experience with your PhD.
When you spot yourself falling into this trap, remind yourself that you’re only human, the person reading your thesis is human, and you’re not expected to execute everything perfectly all of the time.
In short: give yourself a break.
Good luck.
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