In mid April, my good friend George and I are going to start out on a new adventure, and yesterday, we sat down over coffee to talk about it.
George and I recently got accepted into a doctoral program at Catholic University of America in Washington DC. The program is somewhat specialized and it looks like there will only be about eight other people joining us on this three-year endeavor. We’re excited!
We begin mid-April with a series of on-line courses, which is a godsend, since we’ll be able to work from home. Then, in May, we have three weeks of on campus intensive classes, then back to another series of classes on-line. This pattern continues for the next three years, and then we can begin writing our dissertation. Sound like fun?
I’m sure you’re asking why we would want to go through all this effort? I think the answer is pretty simple. Both George and I love learning. We have been somewhat stuck in neutral the past few years, and we have been looking for something new that will become a blessing, not only for ourselves, but for others too.
Friends, do you feel like you’ve been stuck in neutral for a while, with no clear sense of direction? Do you find yourself bored with your present situation, but can’t seem to get motivated?
As I’ve blogged about before, in my opinion, there’s nothing quite like a new learning experience to to assist you in the motivation department. Whether it be an on-line course, something at your local community college, or, like George and I, a new degree program, life-long learning experiences are great, and we should all be taking advantage of them.
This idea of entering a doctoral program began about four years ago. My friend Kristen called me one morning, just as she was beginning her very last class in the program I’ll be starting next month. Kristen said she was calling because she felt like this would be a perfect fit for me, and that I should investigate it.
Well, I went down to Washington, liked what I saw, but never seemed to find the time to apply. If I had, I’d more than likely have that degree by now. I guess the timing just wasn’t right. Or maybe I was afraid of the commitment, of starting something new, or it could have been just laziness. Water under the bridge now.
What matter’s is that I’m moving forward, ready to start something exciting and new. How about you? What can you do in the next three months that will get you moving again? Don’t put it off any longer.
