Well, it’s close to the end of another academic year. How is your dissertation process going? Is it moving forward? Staying the same? Or are you losing ground?

As you may know, I’ve been working with dissertation writers since 2001. My stance has always been that once you start the dissertation you should do everything you can to finish it. I still believe that, but with a twist.

What’s the twist? That you should aim to finish as quickly and happily as you can.

Now, most of the people who criticize me often suggest that quick, happy, and dissertation just don’t belong in the same sentence. And for most dissertation writers, that is probably true. But the people I’ve had the privilege to work with over the past seven years have been proof that you can finish the dissertation more easily and quickly, if you just take the right actions in the right order.

What actions, what order? Well, I’ve laid out some clear pathways for you on this blog, in my newsletter, and in my books. Conservatively, I’ve written or produced more than 1,000 pages of content on finishing the dissertation- a gathering of material which is about ten times the size of a completed and well finished dissertation.

So the point is, the information is here for you. Whether you use my methodology, or someone else’s, it doesn’t really matter. What is important is that you finish, and that you do it as quickly as possible. The longer you are ABD, the longer you will be ABD.

If your dissertation is important to you, and you want to finish, then take the right actions in the right order and get it done. If you don’t care anymore, or never really cared in the first place, cut bait and spend your energy somewhere else.

The first decision you have to make is whether you want to finish. If the answer is yes, then you must become unstoppable in your quest to finish. Do whatever it takes, no matter what it takes. A little bit of suffering early on in this process may keep you from years and years of suffering when the *()&(*& dissertation just never gets done.

As you move into summertime, do something differently this year. Take massive radical action to make massive radical progress.

Remember this, from a well known quote: "There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permits. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”

 Be committed. Accept no excuses. Actively seek results.

 

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The benefits of having my own business are that I can do whatever I want. The negatives of having my own business are that I can do whatever I want. Lately, I’ve been noticing- *very often* how much MORE productive I am when I have structured myself to be disciplined.

Structuring discipline means, simply, that you create a framework and structure that enables you to be disciplined about your work and items you must accomplish. Like you, I am much more disciplined about getting things done when I know someone is waiting for me to finish, or will be reviewing the assignments I’m working on.

I got away from structure and discipline for a while; I was kind of sick of having such incredibly regimented days. What I realized is that the answer is found in balancing structure and discipline with enough open space for creativity and wondering.

It’s the same for your dissertation process. If you have created a structure which enables you to be disciplined and complete your dissertation tasks, you, too, can afford a few hours or days off, here and there. I know that you might be afraid that if you take a break from this, you’ll never come back to it. I hear that a lot. However, really, if you are in a cycle of working and producing meaningful output, you don’t have to be afraid of never coming back to it. You definitely will, assuming that the habit is solid enough.

It’s similar to exercising: if you generally exercise frequently, you will come back to it, even after a several weeks break: because you like how you feel when you exercise. If your dissertation habit is solid enough, you like how you feel when you’re working (or at least you like the feeling of working) and you’ll come back to it even if you take a break for a while.

The biggest problem with having tons of time to do the dissertation is that, very often, you fill up the time with unrelated work. Create a structure and discipline around working: get into the work, do the work, and get out of the work- and then go and do something else.

The more you structure your environment to succeed at this project, the more likely you will be to finish quickly.

Dissertation success is little more than structured discipline, applied regularly.

 

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