Trust Your Struggle

Kayla Boone
Nov 2 · 2 min read

This week was the most trying week I’ve had in graduate school thus far. It taught me that I definitely need to work on my organization and get ahead of my assignments. I changed the topic of a research heavy assignment at the last minute, completely terrible move.

Now that I am halfway through my first semester in grad school I thought I had found my groove, but it only seemed to be getting harder. I completely underestimated the amount of drafting and research need for my paper. It actually broke me down mentally that I was so unprepared. But in those moments I remember the phrase, “trust your struggle” (that I actually have tattooed on me). I know that these current struggles will only prepare me for great times of triumph.

I took a moment to just BREATHE (we sometimes forget the importance of doing that) and I sent out an email to one of the sources for my story. I continued search for the contact information for several other sources but came up short. For days the source I contacted hadn’t gotten back to me so I sent a follow up email. After 3 days he responded and we set a date to chat. Fast forward, he gave me the best 35 minute phone interview I could have asked for and even put me in contact with several other sources. It became less of an interview and more of a conversation.

After the interview I was over, suddenly any anxiety I had about the assignment had gone out the window. I became more confident and excited about actually writing the article because I knew I had all that I needed for a great story. As of now the article is still a work in progress. As the writer I can wait to see the end product!

This week taught me several lessons:

  1. Stay organized and plan ahead.
  2. Trust your struggle!
  3. And, be patient.
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade