Having lived on both sides of the fence, I'd say work and PhD are different levels of poorly defined. Poorly defined goals a manager imposes on you are one thin

Having lived on both sides of the fence, I'd say work and PhD are different levels of poorly defined. Poorly defined goals a manager imposes on you are one thing. At least you don't have to make them up. Poorly defined goals you impose on yourself (based on funding and advisor constraints) are another thing. You can make the self-direction work for you, or you can drown in your own creativity.