Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Source: Wikimedia Commons

I’m slow; I read slowly, think slowly and write slowly. In the best of times this is merely a little annoying but at the worst of times it can be debilitating. This especially applies to writing and I’m not alone here. It can be a real source of anxiety for many graduate students. Even journaling and free writing, otherwise easy creative processes, can be laden with perfectionist expectations that can hinder productivity. None of what I’m saying will come as a surprise to most grad students because, A: as mentioned, it’s aquite common, and B: even if we did think we were alone in feeling this way, the slew of books, blogs, articles, webinars and workshops dedicated to reassuring us that we’re not and providing advice for getting around it should serve as a reminder.