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It is widely accepted that progress through a doctorate is rarely straightforward. Doctoral researchers will inevitably experience numerous unsettling moments as they traverse new territory. The literature describes this experience as ‘liminality’ or being in-between states. Often, the experience of liminality is a precursor to a transformative moment in the doctorate, which changes how the doctoral researcher views themselves and the world. Whilst the literature is strong on the concept of liminality, less is known about how doctoral researchers pull through liminal moments to make progress. This chapter addresses that gap by arguing that reflexivity is a complementary concept to liminality because it provides an insight into (i) how doctoral researchers formulate courses of action to progress their project; (ii) what those courses of action are directed towards; and (iii) how structural components of doctoral programmes can affect progress. The conceptual discussion will be brought to life with reference to a ‘river of experience’ created by doctoral researchers.