Disability Taught Me Reaching Beyond the Goal
Living with a disability has shaped my life in ways that I never could have anticipated. It has presented numerous challenges, but it has also taught me lessons that have empowered me to push through adversity and strive for success. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is simple yet profound: If you want to get something, you have to throw your hand further than the goal until you get it.
This lesson didn’t just help me navigate daily life, but it has also been a cornerstone of my journey as a PhD student. The path to a doctoral degree is long, challenging, and often filled with moments where the finish line seems impossibly far away. Yet, disability has shown me that, in academia, as in life, the secret to achieving success lies not in simply meeting the goal but in pushing beyond it, in stretching yourself further than you initially thought possible.
The Parallel Between Disability and the PhD Journey
When you live with a disability, you often encounter setbacks that the world doesn't always anticipate. The expectations for you are set by others, but you quickly learn that those external limitations don’t define you. You begin to see obstacles not as barriers but as challenges to overcome through innovation, resilience, and perseverance.
This approach becomes critical during a PhD journey. The process of earning a doctorate is not easy for anyone—it requires intense discipline, consistency, and the ability to persist through failure and rejection. But it’s these very qualities that have allowed me to succeed, even when the path ahead seems difficult to navigate.
Throwing Your Hand Further
In both academia and life, it’s easy to set small, easily attainable goals that don’t demand much effort. However, true growth—whether personal or academic—happens when you stretch yourself beyond what’s immediately in front of you. In my PhD journey, this has meant pushing through moments of doubt, seeking knowledge beyond what is taught in class, and dedicating focused time to deeply understanding my field.
Discipline is the foundation of this effort. It’s about showing up every day, even when the work feels overwhelming or when challenges—whether academic or related to my disability—seem insurmountable. Discipline is finding the time, energy, and motivation to keep moving forward, regardless of the barriers.
Yet, discipline alone is not enough. Consistency transforms daily effort into long-term progress. Achieving a PhD requires building on small successes, learning from mistakes, and persisting even when progress feels stagnant. Progress isn’t always linear—some days involve setbacks—but the dedication to show up and strive is what matters most.
My experience with disability has shaped my understanding of both discipline and consistency. It has taught me that discipline isn’t about rigidly following a single path but about adapting to challenges and making continuous adjustments to stay on course. Similarly, consistency isn’t about forcing progress every day but about pacing myself, allowing time for rest, and moving forward incrementally.
Ultimately, the journey to success in academia and life hinges on pairing disciplined effort with consistent action. Each step forward, no matter how small, brings you closer to reaching beyond the goal you initially set.
Reaching Beyond the Goal: Pushing Past Limitations
As a PhD student, there are moments where the finish line feels miles away. The long hours of research, the constant writing, the endless feedback from advisors—it can sometimes feel like you’re never quite close to completion. But the key to overcoming this sense of exhaustion is understanding that the goal is not the end of the road; it’s simply a milestone on a much longer journey.
I’ve learned that the goal is not just about meeting deadlines or finishing chapters—it’s about the process of stretching beyond what you think you’re capable of. Pushing past the limits of what others believe you can achieve and discovering new ways of thinking, learning, and growing in your field.
In my experience, disability has sharpened my resilience in this regard. The additional hurdles I face as a disabled student have forced me to find creative solutions to the everyday challenges that come with pursuing a PhD. Whether it’s adapting my study environment, seeking out resources to manage my energy, or adjusting my approach to learning, my disability has taught me that the real strength lies in pushing past the barriers and continuing forward.
Achieving Success: The PhD Journey and Beyond
In the end, it’s not about reaching a single goal; it’s about understanding the power of persistence, of throwing your hand further than you think you can reach. Disability has taught me that, whether it’s achieving a personal milestone or completing my doctoral research, the key to success lies in pushing myself beyond what others expect and going the extra mile—every single day.
As PhD students, we are constantly asked to challenge the status quo, to push boundaries, and to think critically about the world around us. The same approach applies to our personal journeys. No matter the obstacles, whether they be academic, personal, or physical, we are capable of achieving greatness by remaining disciplined, consistent, and above all, persistent.
So, to my fellow PhD students, whether you face a disability or not: Remember, the journey to your goal is not about simply meeting expectations. It’s about stretching beyond them, finding new ways to approach the task at hand, and continuing to throw your hand further than the goal until you reach it.
