Focus on Your Success
As the holiday season quickly approaches it is easier than ever to set your dissertation aside and get lost in the mix of shopping, parties, and events. While these may seem like welcome distractions, it is important to stay focused and on track. Let’s make sure that when we arrive in 2016 you have made substantial progress in your dissertation.
Here are some tips to keep you focused and progressing:
Keep your success top of mind. You signed up for this and you have invested a substantial amount of time, money, and energy into making it happen. Take a few minutes each day to visualize your success. Clear your mind and focus on the image of you walking across the stage at your graduation. Hear your name announced with “doctor” in front of it. Hear the applause and feel the excitement and pride of your friends and family that are there to support you. Let this image stick with you, and refer back to it often. Your success should always be at the top of your mind.
Set intentions and stick to them. I like to start my day by setting my intentions and making a list to assure that I accomplish everything. First thing in the morning, organize your tasks in a list, and feel the accomplishment as you cross each task off.
Use your resources. We have a rule around here that if you are stuck on a problem for more than 20 minutes, you should stop and ask someone to weigh in. You are surrounded by smart people that have either experienced a similar problem and know how to solve it, or can at a minimum provide a different angle to the solution. Remember, you are not alone in this process and there is a world (wide web) of resources at your fingertips.
Wishing you all a productive month and a terrific Thanksgiving!
We work with graduate students every day and know what it takes to get your research approved.
- Address committee feedback
- Roadmap to completion
- Understand your needs and timeframe