Overcoming small obstacles

Do you know the difference between an en dash and a hyphen? Until last week, I didn’t even know an en dash existed. The existence of an en dash and my lack of knowledge of one drove me into a fit of rage that had me on the edge of a cliff—a cliff that made me want to throw away years of work and thousands of dollars.

 I am currently working on my doctoral dissertation and reviewing revisions; in my reference section, my work was sent back due to having hyphens instead of en dashes.  Here is a definition of en dash that I found - En Dash (–)

• Length: Longer than a hyphen, shorter than an em dash.

• Use: Indicates ranges (e.g., 1990–2000) and relationships or connections between two things (e.g., “the New York–London flight”).

• Function: Shows a range or a relationship between two elements of equal weight.

  After my internal temper tantrum was over and my rage subsided, I reflected and decided that this was an opportunity to learn something new. It only took a few minutes of searching and using the help section in Word to learn how to insert an en dash into my paper. It was also easier to insert an en dash in Google Docs. The lesson learned. Once I calmed down, I was able to move forward. No matter my anger, no one would change the APA7 formatting requirements to accommodate my displeasure. If I want a doctorate, I need to insert dashes. If I choose not to, then that opportunity vanishes. Looking back on it now. How crazy would it be to quit my doctorate program over an endash? It is important to think clearly about the consequences of our decisions, as it will help us to continue moving forward. I still don't love APA 7, but I did it. The lesson in this is that it’s impossible to try to love everything, and that is our market of living your best life; what if, instead, we are willing to do what we dislike from time to time and keep moving forward? What do you dislike in life that you must overcome to keep you moving towards your larger goals?