March 29, 2005
- Check in with yourself.
A good technique for avoiding "lost time" (you know, that time you use and don’t have much to show for)- is to get into the habit of checking in with yourself every couple of hours and asking, "Am I spending my time in the most useful way to meet my current goal?" Taking the time [...]
March 23, 2005
- Try not to switch too frequently between tasks.
A (somewhat) recent study suggests that you lose up to 15% of your productivity each time you switch tasks. One strategy I suggest to my clients- and which works quite well- is to try and stay focused on similar tasks in the same time period. Try blocking off a couple of hours for your dissertation, [...]
February 11, 2005
- Make good use of even little bits of time.
A good strategy to get more done is to get in the habit of using even little bits of time. To maximize the benefit of this, make a running to-do list of all tasks you can complete in a 10 minute block of time. Add to this as you go. When you have a few [...]
January 13, 2005
- When you schedule it in, keep the appointment.
The corollary to yesterday’s posting- that you should schedule time to work on your dissertation and put it into your appointment book- is that you need to keep the appointment you’ve scheduled. Yes, some weeks, life will intrude and your best laid plans won’t work out at all like you thought. Unless you live in [...]
- Schedule in your dissertation time like any other appointment.
If completing the dissertation is important to you, and my guess is that it is– make a commitment to finishing by scheduling your dissertation time into your appointment book, just like anything else you need to complete in a week. When the dissertation time becomes shoved into your life after everything else is completed, it’s [...]
December 27, 2004
- Patience is a virtue.
Many important achievements in life take time to complete. Babies take nine months to be born. Relationships take months or years to develop. Getting into a Ph.D. program in the first place took twenty years of schooling. The dissertation process, like these other processes, takes time. The more comfortable you can be with the time [...]
December 13, 2004
- Too much to do, and too little time.
Well, the holiday season has hit- full force. I’m running around with a lot to do, and not much time to get it all done. I’m wondering if it’s the same for you? Here are a few tips to be more efficient, both in the dissertation & in life: Don’t multitask. Research shows that you [...]
November 29, 2004
- Maintaining Motivation During the Holiday Season II
During the holiday season, it can be more difficult to find the time, energy, and interest to keep making progress on your dissertation. If you fear that you won’t be motivated to work during the holiday season, and yet feel anxious or uncomfortable about not working, here are some more ideas to help you: 4) [...]
November 26, 2004
- Maintaining Motivation During the Holiday Season I
Well, today is the busiest shopping day of the year, so I have heard- and it seems like all the malls are packed. During the holiday season, it can be more difficult to find the time, energy, and interest to keep making progress on your dissertation. If you fear that you won’t be motivated to [...]
November 23, 2004
- Beware the shifting finish line.
When you define a goal and your time/task parameters, stick to your plan as much as possible. This means being comfortable moving ahead to the next part of the work, even if the first part isn’t yet "perfect". Sometimes, good enough is good enough. Often, ABD’s start to "move the finish line"- each time they [...]
November 22, 2004
- Define Time & Task Parameters
An important element for dissertation time management: you need to stay aware of both task AND time parameters in order to meet your goals most effectively. Most of the time, ABD’s dive into the dissertation work and work forwards, without ever clearly defining the time and task parameters. They keep working, working, and working, without [...]
November 11, 2004
- How much perfectionism is too much?
Perfectionism is a term used to define a state of being unhappy with anything that isn’t perfect (i.e. doesn’t meet very high standards). While you do need to put together a quality dissertation, there is a point at which perfectionism becomes too much. How do you know the difference between healthy focus and negative perfectionism? [...]
November 10, 2004
- Stay Aware of Task/Time Parameters
One of the fastest avenues to dissertation derailment is found when ABD’s take a very long time- much too long- to complete tasks. This happens mostly when you’ve dived into a task and keep expecting the task to lead you to the ending point, but, instead, find that the more you work, the more there [...]
October 29, 2004
- Think Less, Work More
Too often, graduate students spend a lot of time planning HOW they will work…rather than actually DOING the work. While it is important to create a general plan for your work, and also an outline to aid your writing, the next step, always, is get started on it. By moving more seamlessly from planning to [...]
October 27, 2004
- Plan to work only 30 minutes at a time
Planning to work only 30 minutes at a time is a good strategy for keeping focused and productive, and preventing burnout. Too often, graduate students plan to work in two or three hour blocks, which, sometimes, pass without much accomplishment. If you start planning your work in a series of 30 minute blocks, you will [...]
October 25, 2004
- Learning to Use Small Blocks of Time
One of the simplest techniques for making regular progress on the dissertation is learning how to effectively use small(er) chunks of time. A good strategy is to make a to-do list of the next 30 items that need to be completed. Aim to make this list as detailed as possible (and feel free to list [...]