I wanted to share something I’ve found super helpful on my doctorate journey – I created my very own personalised “colour-as-you-go” progress tracker. It’s nothing fancy, just a fun way to keep track of all the big milestones, like submitting my thesis draft, presenting at conferences, or hitting those smaller steps, like coding data for the first time!
I designed it in Word as I’m not creative enough to free draw. Canva would also be a great tool. What I love about it is the satisfaction of colouring in each section as I tick things off. It’s a little (low cost) thing, but it makes the whole process feel a bit more manageable. Plus, it’s nice to have a visual reminder of how far I’ve come, especially on the tough days.
Melissa Smith 