
{"id":3235,"date":"2019-12-02T12:56:54","date_gmt":"2019-12-02T12:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher\/"},"modified":"2025-01-15T06:31:10","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T06:31:10","slug":"in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher","title":{"rendered":"In pursuit of contentment: How to align personal and professional goals as a researcher"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">How do you feel about working on Sundays? If you were to ask me this question, I\u2019d say that my weekends are sacrosanct; I\u2019d work extra over the week or even work overnight on weekdays just to make sure that my weekends are sans e-mails and meetings. Just as this is important to me, everyone has their personal preferences and priorities. People have different approaches to life and this is what guides our choices about our career as well as personal life at every stage. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">We all know that the research life is notoriously stressful and demanding. Between writing grant proposals, attending conferences, doing lab work, revising manuscripts, conducting studies, and managing personal life, at times, it could feel like you are stuck in a patch of quicksand. And walking this tightrope of personal and career goal alignment can be particularly challenging for early career researchers who are finding their footing in academia. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">If your personal and professional goals are not in sync, it can lead to a sense of discontent. Left unaddressed, these feelings can become the cause of mental and physical health issues. We are likely to experience feelings of happiness and contentment when we feel that we are directing all our efforts to move in the direction we have set out for ourselves. So let\u2019s look at some ways in which we can manage our personal and professional lives better. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><b>1. Bring your personal goals to the fore<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">\u00a0Most of us tend to put our personal goals on the backburner while trying to make a mark in our career. While you plan and work for your professional goals, do think about the aspirations you have on the personal front. If in the next couple of years you want to plan for a child, or get married, or buy a house, or visit a country you have always wanted to, plan for these goals as well. Thinking actively about your personal goals will keep you motivated and in fact help you make better decisions about your professional goals too. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/becoming-a-mom-while-doing-a-phd-part-1\/\" style=\"color:blue; text-decoration:underline\">I had initially planned to wait until the end of my PhD before trying for a baby. However, by the middle of my second year, I had begun to have second thoughts<\/a>,\u201d says biochemistry and molecular biology researcher Vicky Howe who decided to get married and have two kids while completing her PhD. Though she had to juggle between family and work, she adds that, \u201cI think we\u2019ve done alright.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><b>2. Know your priorities <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">As a researcher in a hypercompetitive space, you may have to make several choices to ensure career advancement. But when you select a lab or apply for a job, think about whether you are prepared to move to another city or work odd hours in the lab. Things that matter to you the most can affect your feelings of satisfaction and contentment in the long term and have a huge impact on your daily life. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">Shivanee Shah who has over 12 years of experience in academic research, including immunology, molecular biology, stem cells, vaccine development and autoimmunity, says, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-manage-work-life-balance-as-a-postdoc-scientist\/\" style=\"color:blue; text-decoration:underline\">For my first postdoc, I had the opportunity to move to another city, to a well renowned university after my PhD, but decided against this opportunity as my husband would not have been able to move with me and a long-distance relationship was not something I was ready for.<\/a>\u201d Being aware of what matters to you can help in making better long-term decisions. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><b>3. Plan your finances <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">Managing your finances is absolutely essential to ensure you never have to let money issues dictate the decisions you have to take on the professional front. Imagine that you really need to take a break from work to focus on your family or yourself. This would be possible only if you have planned your funds. Money issues can force you to push back your personal plans and ultimately cause feelings of frustration. So plan your finances well so that the safety net can allow you to make decisions that matter on the personal front. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><b>4. Build a support system <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">Having a strong support group or system can help you perform your best and maintain a work-life balance. So depending on your needs, consider hiring help to take of your household activities, or looking for a daycare center for your child. Also, try to connect to people at and off work as it is always helpful to have someone with whom you can share your concerns and rely on in times of need. Having supportive neighbors, understanding colleagues, and dependable friends can be a big plus. It will allow you time to accommodate more personal tasks and get some much-needed \u201cme\u201d time. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">Sharing her experience of completing PhD, Rachel Dunn, assistant professor at Des Moines University in U.S., says that having an understanding colleague in Elaine Gregersen (associate professor in law at Northumbria University) helped her sail through during the doctorate. She says, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/finding-a-buddy-is-one-of-the-most-important-things-to-do-during-your-phd\/\" style=\"color:blue; text-decoration:underline\">I realised that I can\u2019t go through this alone and Elaine became a big part of my support group<\/a>.\u201d And she goes on to say: \u201cIf you are doing a PhD and you don\u2019t have an Elaine, get one!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><b>5. Don\u2019t be afraid to express your needs <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">Most of us are hesitant to share our personal needs or problems with our supervisors for the fear of being thought of as unprofessional. However, it is a fact that most researchers face high levels of stress and find it difficult to balance their personal life while meeting professional demands. Therefore, instead of pushing yourself too hard to the point of feeling burnt out or suffering mental health issues, see if you can talk to your colleagues or supervisor. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-019-03162-7\" style=\"color:blue; text-decoration:underline\">Openly prioritizing and planning my work and life around each other greatly enhanced my competency and enthusiasm at work<\/a>,\u201d says Karishma Kaushik, an assistant professor who also runs a lab in Pune, India, who decided to give equal attention to herself and her family while completing her PhD. Sharing your private life and the struggles you are going through can in fact help you bond better with your colleagues and you may get help to manage your different roles with more ease. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><b>It&#8217;s all about the balance\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">Striking the right balance between personal and professional priorities is no mean feat. However, the stepping stone to achieving this is knowing what you want. So be open, introspect, and think of what you want and where you want to be in the next few years. The feelings of happiness and contentment stem from giving equal precedence to things that matter to you the most. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">This is best echoed by Kourosh Saeb-Parsy,<b> <\/b>transplant surgeon at Cambridge University Hospitals, U.K. who says,<b> <\/b>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-018-07511-w\" style=\"color:blue; text-decoration:underline\">I don\u2019t buy the idea that you have to sacrifice family life for your profession. Historically, that might have been the case, but times are changing, and I tell my students that you have to aim for both.<\/a>\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0in 0in 10pt\"><em><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\">To hear more the personal stories of researchers, visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/category\/community\/researchersandtheirstories\/\"><strong>Researchers and Their Stories<\/strong><\/a> section.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How do you feel about working on Sundays? If you were to ask me this question, I\u2019d say that my weekends are sacrosanct; I\u2019d work extra over the week or even work overnight on weekdays just to make sure that my weekends are sans e-mails and meetings. Just as this is important to me, everyone [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":33313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2436],"tags":[2516,2568,2703,2483],"new_categories":[],"new_tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-3235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-researcher-wellness","tag-career-advice-for-postdocs","tag-career-advice-for-researchers","tag-mental-health","tag-researcher-career"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to align personal and professional goals | Editage Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If your personal and professional goals are not in sync, it can lead to a sense of discontent. . So let\u2019s look at some ways in which we can manage our personal and professional lives better.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to align personal and professional goals | Editage Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If your personal and professional goals are not in sync, it can lead to a sense of discontent. . So let\u2019s look at some ways in which we can manage our personal and professional lives better.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Editage Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-12-02T12:56:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-15T06:31:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/happy.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"656\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"336\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sneha Kulkarni\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Editage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Editage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sneha Kulkarni\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sneha Kulkarni\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/7c95168c8a381719f987ecc0eb49d20d\"},\"headline\":\"In pursuit of contentment: How to align personal and professional goals as a researcher\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-12-02T12:56:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-15T06:31:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher\"},\"wordCount\":1188,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/editage-insights-generic-banner_298.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Career Advice for Postdocs\",\"Career Advice for Researchers\",\"Mental Health\",\"Researcher Career\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Researcher Wellness\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher\",\"name\":\"How to align personal and professional goals | Editage Insights\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/editage-insights-generic-banner_298.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-12-02T12:56:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-15T06:31:10+00:00\",\"description\":\"If your personal and professional goals are not in sync, it can lead to a sense of discontent. . So let\u2019s look at some ways in which we can manage our personal and professional lives better.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/editage-insights-generic-banner_298.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/editage-insights-generic-banner_298.webp\",\"width\":656,\"height\":336},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"In pursuit of contentment: How to align personal and professional goals as a researcher\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/\",\"name\":\"Editage Insights\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Editage Insights\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":324,\"caption\":\"Editage Insights\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/Editage\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/7c95168c8a381719f987ecc0eb49d20d\",\"name\":\"Sneha Kulkarni\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bb54352821d99f6174b14235a21b38dafe7a9649e6f269e8abd97284e09ad189?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bb54352821d99f6174b14235a21b38dafe7a9649e6f269e8abd97284e09ad189?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sneha Kulkarni\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/sneha-kulkarni\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to align personal and professional goals | Editage Insights","description":"If your personal and professional goals are not in sync, it can lead to a sense of discontent. . So let\u2019s look at some ways in which we can manage our personal and professional lives better.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to align personal and professional goals | Editage Insights","og_description":"If your personal and professional goals are not in sync, it can lead to a sense of discontent. . So let\u2019s look at some ways in which we can manage our personal and professional lives better.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher","og_site_name":"Editage Insights","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage","article_published_time":"2019-12-02T12:56:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-01-15T06:31:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":656,"height":336,"url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/happy.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Sneha Kulkarni","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Editage","twitter_site":"@Editage","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sneha Kulkarni","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher"},"author":{"name":"Sneha Kulkarni","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/7c95168c8a381719f987ecc0eb49d20d"},"headline":"In pursuit of contentment: How to align personal and professional goals as a researcher","datePublished":"2019-12-02T12:56:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-15T06:31:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher"},"wordCount":1188,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/editage-insights-generic-banner_298.webp","keywords":["Career Advice for Postdocs","Career Advice for Researchers","Mental Health","Researcher Career"],"articleSection":["Researcher Wellness"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher","name":"How to align personal and professional goals | Editage Insights","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/editage-insights-generic-banner_298.webp","datePublished":"2019-12-02T12:56:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-15T06:31:10+00:00","description":"If your personal and professional goals are not in sync, it can lead to a sense of discontent. . So let\u2019s look at some ways in which we can manage our personal and professional lives better.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/editage-insights-generic-banner_298.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/editage-insights-generic-banner_298.webp","width":656,"height":336},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/in-pursuit-of-contentment-how-to-align-personal-and-professional-goals-as-a-researcher#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"In pursuit of contentment: How to align personal and professional goals as a researcher"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/","name":"Editage Insights","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization","name":"Editage Insights","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp","width":2560,"height":324,"caption":"Editage Insights"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage","https:\/\/x.com\/Editage"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/7c95168c8a381719f987ecc0eb49d20d","name":"Sneha Kulkarni","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bb54352821d99f6174b14235a21b38dafe7a9649e6f269e8abd97284e09ad189?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bb54352821d99f6174b14235a21b38dafe7a9649e6f269e8abd97284e09ad189?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sneha Kulkarni"},"url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/sneha-kulkarni"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3235"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3235\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3235"},{"taxonomy":"new_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/new_categories?post=3235"},{"taxonomy":"new_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/new_tags?post=3235"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=3235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}