August 10, 2008
- Don’t Break the Chain
Read a great article today about a productivity tip from Jerry Seinfeld. In this post, the author explains Jerry Seinfeld’s approach to creating a new habit and sticking with it.
March 31, 2008
- Structuring Discipline
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.
January 3, 2008
- What to Do if You Are Addicted to the Struggle
So if you have been struggling in the dissertation process for any length of time; and you have not taken a step back, gotten a broader perspective, and taken a look at whether you’re working harder or working smarter, that would be a good step to take today.
If you find that you’re working smarter, than keep doing more of the same because when you find something that works, you want to do more of it.
December 30, 2007
- Identifying if you Are Addicted to the Struggle
If you’ve been working on your dissertation for any length of time and you find yourself not making the kind of progress that would be commensurate with the time that you’ve invested, it’s time to take a step back and take a broader perspective on the whole process, and then ask yourself—Am I addicted to the struggle?
December 14, 2007
- Action
We’ve previously talked about beliefs. The second part of the equation is that of actions, and again as I stated, your beliefs will determine your actions. So you actually need to focus on feeling better first before you can take actions which move you forward.
When we look at actions which move you forward, examples of these would be actions such as; creating a regular schedule to work and actually sticking to it, finding ways to make use of all of the available pockets of time that you have to make progress, avoiding procrastinating or not putting things off that you could take care of today.
November 14, 2007
- Outlining
Outlining is the first step to writing effectively. Many times, dissertation writers run into problems when they need to make the transition from researching their idea or their topic into actually writing about their topic. The number one reason this becomes a problem is because most dissertation writers do not take time to outline the topic prior to writing it. Outlining is a necessary step between research and writing, and here’s why.
January 23, 2007
- Support=Faster Progress
Today’s topic is about support and how it can accelerate your progress on the dissertation. While the dissertation is a solitary pursuit, it needn’t be a lonely one. It always amazes me how many dissertators feel they are struggling all alone, and that very few people (read: nobody) understands what they’re going through.
While the output of the dissertation must be an independent project, the process of getting there need not be. We all can achieve more together than we can alone.
January 15, 2007
- Football and the Dissertation
I was lucky enough to score tickets to the Ravens/Colts AFC Playoff game this past Saturday. It was my first NFL game, ever, and it was a lot of fun, even though the Ravens (my hometown team) lost.
January 2, 2007
- Happy New Year & Looking Ahead
Happy New Year! I’m back from the holidays and anticipate that you are too (or soon will be…).
I hope you had a great time on New Year’s Eve, and are ready to get back to work. 2007 is going to be an amazing year, I can already tell.
So, for today, I want to [...]
December 8, 2006
- Trust the Process.
Even if you are focused on completing your dissertation, and you work regularly on it, there can still be feelings of anxiety, tension or worry, evidenced by thoughts like, “Will I finish?” “What if I never finish?”
December 4, 2006
- Set Small Goals. Meet. Repeat.
I’m reminded today of the importance of setting small goals. Setting small goals allows you to meet them and repeat them. This kind of slow, methodical progress isn’t very exciting, perhaps, but it is the best strategy for dealing with the dissertation.
November 15, 2006
- Should you write it down or just do it?
I’m going to let you in on a little secret, but just because it’s a little secret doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful.
If you, like me, are fond of “to-do” lists (and likely most of you are, since there hardly ever seems to be enough time to get the “to-do” list done!), I’d like to share with you a secret tool I’ve found to build and maintain momentum.
November 13, 2006
- Nothing Happens Until Something Moves
Nothing Happens Until Something Moves: This quote, one of my favorite, is attributed to Einstein. What it means, to me, is that all the thinking, planning, and conceptualizing doesn’t really mean anything without one more thing: ACTION.
February 1, 2006
- Take a little time to brainstorm.
If you’re in a bit of a rut with researching, writing, and researching some more, why not schedule in a couple of hours just to play around with ideas or brainstorm for a while? You might pick out your outfit for defense, daydream about your doctoral robes, plan for your graduation party. Even though this [...]
September 27, 2005
- Use the correct tools.
One way to maximize your dissertation process is to use the correct tools. I can’t tell you how many hundreds of ABD’s have come to coach with me, stating, "I have no idea what a dissertation really is. I don’t know what I’m working towards." To which I reply, "Why not read some dissertations from [...]
September 16, 2005
- Plan for the immediate future.
One way to build momentum is to plan for the immediate future. What this means, exactly, is that you sometimes can get really jazzed up to complete a project when you know, exactly, how it will positively impact you. The challenge in a process like the dissertation- which is long, sometimes overly drawn out, and [...]
April 4, 2005
- Surround yourself with inspiration.
It’s a good idea, every now and then, to take time to get re-inspired about your dissertation. I know, it might sound funny to be inspired by your dissertation, but remember your feelings of enthusiasm and excitement when you first began working on the project? Remember how it felt to decide on a topic? To [...]
March 21, 2005
- Be the “little engine that could”!
You might have heard the children’s story about the "Little Engine that Could"- and the message of this story (that you can overcome any obstacle) is especially relevant for dissertators. You only fail when you stop trying. You can overcome any obstacles or barriers in your way- just find a way above, around, over, or [...]
March 9, 2005
- Do a little each day.
Many dissertators wait for big chunks of time in which to work- but, since they don’t always schedule these in, they don’t always get them. A strategy for the times when you don’t have a lot of time to work? Do a little each day. Make a list of small 5-10 minute actions which will [...]
March 3, 2005
- Set small goals you can easily reach.
In order to make the fastest progress on the dissertation, set small goals that you can easily reach. This might seem counterintuitive, but the typical dissertator sets an unrealistically large goal, falls short, and then sets another unrealistically large goal to make up for the failure, and so on.. You’re better off setting goals you [...]