A big step for me was realizing that I don't need a university to keep learning and discovering. There's never been a better time to be an independent learner.

A big step for me was realizing that I don't need a university to keep learning and discovering. There's never been a better time to be an independent learner. If there's something you want to learn, then learn it. If you've got something to say, then say it online. And if you're interesting, people will listen and engage with you. A PhD is training to be a professor, so don't do one unless that is your goal and you know how long the odds are and what the job of a professor really is. Plenty of people realize how hard it is to get a tenured faculty job, but I don't hear many people talking about how crappy the job of being a professor is for someone who primarily wants to do research. I routinely got emails as early as 6AM and as late as 1:30AM from the same faculty members while I was a PhD student; it seemed like my rockstar professors, well past middle age, were still working 80+ hour weeks to do their administrative duties, and teaching, and grant writing, and student mentorship, and still have any time left for their own research.