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I recently attended my graduation ceremony for my doctoral degree in London, apart from the beautiful crisp weather on the day, it was a surreal day for me. When I was helped to wear my graduation gown, I finally realised that this is it. I have arrived at the apex of my educational level. I had achieved what I set out to do when I left my consulting job 5 years ago. I now deserve to enjoy the fruits of my labour.
One day after the graduation ceremony, it dawned on me that this is actually the beginning of my journey. I should be using my newfound skills to learn even more. Now that I do not have to read research articles for my thesis (I must confess that I still get a buzz at accumulating and reading research papers), what should I do?
Do not get me wrong, I am grateful for my achievement. Still, I am also mindful that it is easy for me to just sit on my laurels and stop being inquisitive about issues that really matter to me, especially in the workplace context.
One thing I learned from my pursuit for my doctorate degree is that learning should be constant and never-ending. There are so many avenues one can choose when it comes to acquiring knowledge, one just needs to identify which is the best avenue.
I am a creature of structure. I am motivated by the completion of all my tasks. Of course, there are times when spontaneity can also be useful because it opens up new approaches and thinking in terms of learning. Looking at my desk, I see stacks of books and magazines that require my attention, it is time to do a digital detox and return to good old physical copies of learning materials.