Are you afraid to finish?

For some ABD’s, finishing the dissertation feels unequivocally good. For others, there is ambivalence about finishing. This ambivalence relates to fear- maybe fear of the unknown (What will my life be like without the dissertation?), fear of not getting a job (Since academic jobs are sometimes scarce), fear of moving into a new identity (Ph.D. rather than ABD). If you find yourself avoiding working on the dissertation because you’re afraid to finish, consider the possibility that your fear is keeping you small where you need to be big. Instead of avoiding the fear, try facing it. Make a plan of action for each of your fears and know that you have what it takes to overcome them. Decide to finish, first, and then know you have what it takes to live your life forward from there.

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