Metrics are super important in every project, in and outside academia, and a PhD program is no exception.
If you are a PhD student: What metrics do you live by? How do you measure your progress? What goals you have set for your PhD? Is it just finishing it on time time, or the quality of your publications over time?
Measuring your professional progress is an important part of how you measure your life in general, however, as Prof. Clayton M. Christensen (1952-2020), the Author of the 2012 best-selling book “How Will You Measure Your Life?” said: “It’s actually really important that you succeed at what you’re succeeding at, but that isn’t going to be the measure of your life.”
You need to be very clear on your own metrics, and avoid “not seeing the wood for the trees” – don’t let the short-term pressure blind you and distract you from your real life-changing goals in the long run.
Watch Prof. Christensen’s talk at TEDxBoston, it will leave you with at least one eye-opening thought.