Running the Gauntlet – Balancing Timelines in a DBA Program

Guest Blogger: Phil Stuczynski
Penn State University

For most of my life, when I had a question, I knew exactly who to ask. Whether it was a tough decision, career advice, or just trying to understand how the world worked, there were always people in my life I could turn to for answers. But over time, that changed. The questions got harder, bigger, and they started coming faster than ever before. And I realized that some of the most important ones don’t come with easy answers—or even people who can give them to you. That’s where the DBA comes in: tackling complex, high-stakes problems that demand both speed and rigor—problems that can’t be solved recklessly, but also can’t afford to wait for outdated, slow-moving processes.

Starting a DBA is like stepping onto a treadmill that’s already running. One moment, I’m trying to get through my first residency. The next, I’m thinking about how to get through the week—balancing my job, my family, and the reality of being an adult learner again. Life doesn’t pause just because I started this journey, so I have to find ways to block out the noise and keep moving forward. Over the next 15 weeks, my goal is to absorb as much as I can, stay engaged, and clear every academic hurdle in front of me. But I can’t get so locked into the short-term grind that I lose sight of the bigger picture.

Maybe it’s the strategist in me—someone who’s spent years thinking about trade-offs, opportunity costs, and long-term positioning—but I can’t help seeing each of these timelines like competing assets in a limited portfolio. (Hello, finance background after all). Time, like capital, has to be allocated where it brings the highest return. Some weeks, the short-term demands feel like volatile stocks—urgent, fast-moving, and prone to unexpected spikes. Other weeks, I know I need to invest more in the long-term portfolio: the slow, deliberate work of building a research pipeline. The mid-term? That’s like managing liquidity—keeping enough momentum to avoid falling behind, but not overleveraging your time so much that you run out of bandwidth.

Every hour I spend on one timeline is an hour I’m not spending on the others:

The Short-Term: “What needs to be done this week? What deadlines are tonight? Am I on pace for class this weekend? Staying on top of readings, discussions, and assignments.”

The Mid-Term: “What’s coming in the next few weeks? Planning ahead so next week doesn’t hit like a freight train. Oh yeah, I also have job, family, and personal obligations on the calendar. There isn’t much wiggle room if I fall behind.”

The Long-Term: “What about the dissertation? I should be thinking about my research question, identifying relevant sources, and making time to connect with my advisor. Another day has passed, and I’m one day closer to graduation, but that means I’m one day closer to defending, and I am nowhere close to ready yet. Maybe I’m even behind.”

Would I love to revisit some of the readings and really let the ideas marinate? Absolutely. But every extra hour spent deeply analyzing one article is an hour not used to finish the rest of the week’s work, or prepare for what’s ahead. It’s an hour I’m not using to locate more sources for my research question, or even a moment I could be using to recharge (and yes, burnout is real). Deadlines don’t wait, and neither do expectations.

I’m a former athlete. I’m competitive. I hold myself to high standards. I’m not comfortable with giving 95% effort or 97% effort. I don’t like to leave anything on the table or feel like I had just one more rep in me. But there just aren’t enough hours in the day to devote as much time as I want to each timeline. The biggest lesson? You can’t win every category, every day. But if you learn how to balance them, you’ll get to the finish line.

Phil Stuczynski is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Finance at Penn State University and a current Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) candidate.

With a background in both finance and education, his work bridges academic theory and real-world application, focusing on what moves markets—from investor behavior to executive decision-making and social perception. His research blends finance, psychology, and communication to explore how public leadership and sentiment shape firm value. Outside the classroom, Phil enjoys sports, exercise, working out – and the occasional trip to Disney World with his wife and kids.