You're encountering obstacles in your fieldwork research. How will you maintain resilience and motivation?

Maintaining resilience and motivation in the face of obstacles during fieldwork research is vital for success. Here are key strategies to help you stay on track: 1. Stay Positive Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge and celebrate every small victory, such as collecting a piece of data or completing an interview. These achievements, no matter how minor, contribute to your overall progress and help maintain a positive outlook. Focus on Control: Concentrate on aspects you can control and find the silver lining in challenging situations. This mindset helps you navigate obstacles more effectively and builds mental fortitude.

To stay positive in the face of obstacles during fieldwork research, start by focusing on the purpose and impact of your work. Remind yourself why you chose this path and the potential benefits your research could bring. Celebrate small victories and progress, no matter how minor they may seem. Surround yourself with a supportive network of colleagues, friends, and family who can offer encouragement. Practice self-compassion and avoid being critical of setbacks. Engage in activities that boost your mood, such as exercise, hobbies, or mindfulness practices. Keeping a gratitude journal can also help shift your focus towards positive aspects of experience. Finally, take breaks when needed to recharge and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

To stay resilient and motivated during fieldwork obstacles, break down your challenges into manageable tasks and tackle them one step at a time. Maintain a positive mindset by reflecting on past successes and reminding yourself of the study’s purpose.

Ups and downs test our endurance. Perseverance allows us to keep moving forward, even when the path seems steep. The downs teach us to bounce back, adapt, and find strength even when faced with adversity. Like a tree bending in the wind, we learn to withstand life’s storms.

Se fixer des objectifs peut vraiment aider à rester conciliant quand on rencontre des problèmes sur le terrain. Avoir un but clair permet de garder en tête ce qui est important, même quand les choses deviennent compliquées. Au lieu de se laisser emporter par la frustration ou les émotions, on peut se concentrer sur ce qu'on veut vraiment accomplir. ?a pousse à être plus ouvert au dialogue et à chercher des solutions plut?t que de se braquer. En gros, ?a aide à garder une attitude positive et à avancer, même quand les choses se corsent.

It is important to remember that research is iterative and evolves as more data becomes available. Set realistic goals as per your research objectives, do you want comprehensive and wider data resources (quantitative) or are you looking for a focused sample set for a more in-depth sampling? Deciding on sampling goals and models in advance can help you save time as you get access to wider and in-depth data pools.

What I like most about fieldwork research is how consistently evolving it is. I like to stay motivated through leveraging it by being flexible and adaptable when confronted with any obstacle in research work. It's important to be mindful of the main research while looking for alternate plans for your methods, assessments and more. Adaptability can also mean welcoming diverse perspectives on tackling the problem. This can be through peers, mentors or even supervisors. It remains crucial to focus on resolving the obstacle rather than internalising the difficulties faced.

Yes Adaptability is always required in any research plan. I want to share my experience, that I was working in a School Milk Program and we were visiting remote area schools where due to so many reasons we were not able to reach the sites. At that moment we adapted the scenario and switched to the other plans on the spot. Like one school was out of electricity and that affected our data collection so we used to go to those schools where the electricity wasn't an issue. After that on our next visit we have our own batteries with us to visit schools and we used our own batteries to cater the data collection problem.

Seeking support can make a significant difference in maintaining resilience and motivation, in my opinion. Connecting with peers, mentors, and professional communities has provided me a valuable network for sharing insights, advice, and encouragement. We should never forget that research is not a solitary journey, therefore embracing the collective wisdom and support of a community can help us navigate difficulties more effectively and sustain our motivation through tough times.

I remember early on in my PhD journey, I felt lost and rather in loops trying to figure out what I was doing… So I turned in to my family, my parents. My first ever fieldwork they were by my side talking to respondents, convincing them and asking them to take the survey. I am forever thankful to them rather indebted, but the point I am trying to make here is that always seek support when you need it…

Demander de l’aide permet de ne pas rester isolé face aux problèmes, ce qui est essentiel pour éviter de se sentir submergé. En partageant nos difficultés, on bénéficie non seulement de nouvelles idées et solutions, mais aussi d’un soutien moral qui peut vraiment alléger la pression. Cela permet de continuer à avancer de manière plus sereine, en sachant qu'on n'a pas à tout porter seul. En fin de compte, ?a renforce aussi la dynamique d’équipe et crée un environnement où chacun se sent plus à l’aise de contribuer, ce qui profite à tout le monde.

This is always helpful. Not just to take down field notes and field diary but to understand what actually reflection means. Removing our biases and preconceived notions should be the foremost thing. When we think that we are some sort of superior/educated/privileged than the 'other' person, then you should start rethinking about your entire field work. Of course some of them is difficult to unlearn and some of us can empathise and sympathise on the respondents. But i think this is not enough. We should know the respondent existing in their own world. To take an example, if I am trying to understand a person from an environment A, then I should understand social divisions, powe hierarchy, food habits, world view of people of A.

Rester en bonne santé est essentiel pour pouvoir faire face aux défis du quotidien de manière efficace. Quand on prend soin de soi, physiquement et mentalement, on a plus d’énergie, on est plus concentré, et on gère mieux le stress. être en bonne santé permet aussi de rester positif et résilient, ce qui aide à garder le cap même en période de difficultés. En prenant soin de notre bien-être, on est non seulement plus performant, mais on est aussi mieux préparé pour soutenir les autres et contribuer de manière plus équilibrée et durable.

It is not about what you do when encountering an obstacle but about the discipline you have build beforehand. Although there are some ways to maintain motivation, it is an emotion related brain system and emotions are affected by many factors. Thus they are not necessarily trustable. In contrast, building habits or disciplines create a pathway in your brain and with enough exercise, it will happen daily regardless of the situation, our mood, motivation or obstacles. As a result, when we are down we are still able to make tiny steps of progress on our daily lives and this prevents us from being lost.