The Dissertation Marathon

This is a gem extracted from Chris Guillebeau’s blog, The Art of Nonconformity.

Half-marathons are difficult and worthwhile. Product launches are difficult and worthwhile. Getting to Nepal takes time, but I’m glad to do it. And so on. Note that not each step along the way is enjoyable. The half-marathon, for example, went like this:

Miles 1-3: cautious, warming up
Miles 4-6: feeling better
Miles 7-9: initial onset of fatigue, but also growing confidence that I would finish the race well
Miles 10-12: this is so hard
Miles 12-13.1: ommmmmmm one foot in front of the other

I don’t know about you, but I’m hearing “Doing a Dissertation” here. ;-)

What mile are you in? Isn’t it refreshing to know that the harder it feels, the closer you are to Done? 8^)

Writers on writing...or not

Just wanted to share this article from the 18 October Toronto Star about how writers get their writing done…or not.

Several writers share their favourite procrastination techniques.

But I’m not sharing so you can get a whole new set of techniques for delay!!

I thought it might be instructive to hear that even people who intend to be writing for a living have those moments where it’s Very Very Hard.

So don’t beat yourself up for it.

And there’s a lovely little lesson embedded in those struggles. Not only that, but you may not be surprised to know that it’s all wrapped up with mindset and Play. ;-)

Let’s think about it for a minute…

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Playing with the Dissertation

The dissertation is a serious undertaking, right? It’s work. Work that contributes to the field you are in and proves you are up to the task of representing your discipline.

Is that what you carry around in your head?

That could be a problem…

…”work that is devoid of play is either boring or a grind. We can get pretty far through sheer will-power, and some people have prodigious powers of perfectionism, self-denial, and suffering. Ultimately, though, people cannot succeed in rising to the highest levels of their field if they don’t enjoy what they are doing, if they don’t make time for play. Having a fierce

dedication to grinding out the work is often not enough. Without some sense of fun or play, people usually can’t make themselves stick to any discipline long enough to master it.”

— Stuart Brown, Play

So how does one re-learn how to play?

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When Life Gets in the Way

Have you ever heard yourself saying you don’t have time today for any dissertation work?

Have you heard yourself saying that several days in a row?

What would happen if you had a “Real Job”, a job for which someone paid you to show up and do a role in their company or if you had clients expecting you to show up? Would it be any different to say, “I don’t have time”….?

If this is ever something you find yourself saying, do I have a challenge for you!….

Instead of saying “I don’t have the time to do that”,say instead “it’s not a priority for me right now”.

Why? what difference might this make?

I’m betting that if you have to say out loud to yourself: “My dissertation isn’t a priority right now”, it will at least make you stop and think about that.

Sometimes kids and meals and a flooding basement really are higher priorities than the dissertation.

Temporarily.

But if you’re saying this day after day for any number of events coming up, well, we at least wnat you to recognize the choices you are making.

What are your priorities today?

Can You Shift Your Emotional Energies?

Great question, eh? (Thanks, I thought so too. ;-)

Isn’t this where we seem to get stuck all too often?…

“I don’t feel like it.”

“I’m so frustrated!”

“I’m bored with this.”

“I’m too worried to focus”

What if there were ways to shift this energy into a place that works better for us?

Well, good news! There are actually several ways and today we’ll look at a couple.

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