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THE ALL-BUT-DISSERTATION SURVIVAL GUIDE(tm)
Devoted to practical steps for completing your
doctoral dissertation.
http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com
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http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/INDEX
1. Ben's note
2. Technology Is Not Your Friend
By Tracy Steen, Ph.D.
3. Words of Wisdom
4. Inspirational QuoteSUMMARY
=========In this issue, Dr. Tracy Steen identifies ways that
technology can negatively affect your time management
and offers you tips for being more productive when
using it.We round out this issue with Words of Wisdom & an
inspirational quote.<>===<>===<>===<>===<>===<>
Ben's Note
March 31, 2005
Dear ABD Survival Guide Reader,
You have to read Tracy Steen's article on
" time sucks" below. It is so painfully
accurate and describes something to which
I all to frequently fall victim.I like her solutions. Using a timer is a first
step. You should know, by the way, that
Tracy's a great coach.See you in two weeks.
Ben
====================
Technology Is Not Your Friend
By Tracy Steen, Ph.D.
====================Question: What do these activities have in common?
1. Checking e-mail
2. Doing "research" on the internet
3. Responding to e-mails4. Downloading motivational study music from itunes.com
5. Checking for sale items at jcrew.com
6. Reading the New York Times online
7. (Did I mention checking e-mail?)
Answer: They are massive time sucks masquerading as
productive activity.I have had the privilege of coaching many graduate
students through this endurance event we call the
dissertation process. And in this capacity, I have
observed that dissertation students are particularly
vulnerable to the technology time suck.Graduate students who would never dream of
spending two to three hours per day
watching daytime soap operas will easily
spend that amount of time or more piddling
around on the internet or writing e-mails.Have you ever actually totaled up how much time you
spend online every day? I challenge you to do this!
Keep a paper-and-pencil log for three days and you
may reveal the technology time suck.In the meantime, consider the following reasons why we
should have a healthy mistrust for e-mail and internet
piddling:1) Time stops when you are online.
Have you ever been to a casino? One of the striking
things about them is their absence of any time markers.
You won't find natural light or clocks anywhere in a
casino, and they are always open. Guess what else is
always open and lacks time markers? The internet.At least when you are watching television, you have
commercials or the ending of one program and the
beginning of the next to jolt you back into reality.
No such luck while browsing the internet. Have you
ever had the experience of taking a quick 10-minute
study break to search for this or that on the internet?
One hour and 20 clicks later, you've been the victim
of the technology time suck.***
2) Internet and e-mail piddling masquerades as
productive activity.Internet and e-mail piddling is particularly dangerous
because of its insidious nature. When we watch TV,
there's no disputing the fact that we are taking a
break. (And there's nothing wrong with taking breaks!
See # 3 below for more on this.)What's troubling about e-mail and internet piddling
is that it masquerades as work. When you are clackety-
clack-clacking at the keyboard while responding to
e-mail or doing an unnecessary internet search, it's
easy to delude yourself into believing that you are
doing work. And even more disturbing, all this pseudo
work can be just as exhausting as real work!
One can only stare at the computer screen for so many
hours before eye strain takes its toll. And staring at
the computer without blinking while browsing amazon.com
is no vacation for your bloodshot, work-weary eyes. You
aren't accomplishing real work, but you aren't giving
yourself a real break either.
Which brings me to my final point....***
3) Internet and e-mail piddling uses up "free time" that
could be spent doing something that is truly rejuvenating.
As I mentioned in a previous newsletter on flow
(http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/News/030404.htm),
checking e-mail and other frequent interruptions
disrupt your concentration and the writing process.
Does the following scenario sound familiar? A section of
your paper that should have taken 1 hour to write takes 2
hours because you stopped to check e-mail after each
paragraph. You are now officially behind schedule, so
you can't justify meeting a friend for coffee or going to
a movie because you don't have time.
The internet ate your time, and it's time to reclaim it!===================================
Four Steps to Reclaim Your Much Deserved Breaks1. Monitor how much time you are currently spending
on the internet. Even if you do not decide to make any
changes in your internet/e-mail piddling, I encourage
you to act on this step. Keep a notepad on your desk
and jot down what you were doing before deciding to take
an e-mail or internet "break." Log your start and stop
times. And then rate on a scale of 1-10 how restorative
your "break" was.It's important to keep track of how much time you are
currently spending online because you will need to spend
at least half of that time taking fun breaks away from
the computer. See Step 2 below. (Please note that you
are expressly forbidden to use Microsoft Excel to keep
track of your e-mail/internet piddling as that would
condone squinting at the computer screen for non-
dissertation activities--and that is exactly what you
want to avoid.)
***2. Make a list of things you can do that are truly
relaxing or rejuvenating. Include activities that are
short or long in duration and that you can do alone
or with a friend.
***3. Determine whether the South Beach Diet approach
to limiting your internet piddling is for you. Unless
you have been living under a rock, you have most likely
heard of the trendy South Beach Diet. (Oh wait, you are
working on your dissertation which means that you very
well might be living under a rock!) Phase 1 of the South
Beach Diet seriously restricts simple carbohydrates (bread,
cereal, dairy, even fruits) with the idea that you will
lose your cravings for sugary, starchy foods during this
period.How do you feel about restricting your e-mail and internet
use for one week to reduce your technology cravings? Does
your anxiety level shoot up at the mere thought of being
away from e-mail for one week? If so, then all the more
reason to consider an e-mail/internet detox to break your
habits. Figure out how to enable your e-mail vacation message
auto-responder and repeat after me: "I will be away from
e-mail from__ to ___. If this is an emergency, please
contact my personal assistant at ___." (I just threw that
personal assistant bit in at the end. Wouldn't that be
nice?!)During your hiatus, be sure to incorporate fun activities
from your list every day. No cheating and doing more work!
You will receive double bonus points for leisure pursuits
that involve being outside and spending time with another
person.***
4. When you decide it's time to phase in controlled
e-mailing/internet time (or if you skipped Step 3), you
will need a kitchen timer or stopwatch. Remember that
being online is like being in a casino. You need to
provide the time markers. Determine in advance how much
time you are willing to spend online during the day and
how you will reward yourself (with real breaks from your
list) if you stick to the schedule.If you think that 30 minutes is a reasonable amount of time
to spend checking your e-mail in the morning, then set the
timer for 30 minutes. If you want to take a break and read
The New York Times or The Onion online, no problem.
Just set the timer. Do you long to read a leisure book
for an hour before bed? You will have time for this if you
have faithfully used your timer!I notice that you are still reading this newsletter. Isn't there some fresh air
you might rather be breathing right now? You have the information you need to
reclaim
your breaks, so please back away from the computer and
walk free from the technology time suck!=================================================
About Dr. Tracy Steen
=================================================Tracy Steen received her Ph.D. in clinical
psychology from the University of Michigan. She
is currently a writing coach in Philadelphia, PA,
and her passion is helping students and
professionals transform writing from drudgery to
flow.In addition to offering individual coaching via
telephone, Dr. Steen leads workshops on the writing
process. Read about Dr. Steen's philosophy of
coaching and her research background in positive
psychology: http://www.tracysteen.comYou can contact her by e-mail at tsteen@psych.upenn.edu.
=================================================
Words of Wisdom
=================================================Schedule in time to work on the dissertation just
like you schedule in any other appointment. This
helps you plan and makes it more likely that you
will really get to work. I made a lot of progress
once I started treating the dissertation like any
other responsibility and wrote it in my day planner.=================================================
Inspirational Quote
================================================="You will never find time for anything. If you want
time, you must make it."~~ Charles Bixton ~~
=================================================
Your Own Coach
=================================================
If you are considering whether to get your own coach
to help you reach your academic goals, send any
email to: ben16-76471@autocontactor.com=================================================
BEN DEAN, Publisher, ABDSG
=================================================Ben holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University
of Texas at Austin. He is the founder of MentorCoach
(www.MentorCoach.com) a virtual university training
accomplished mental health professionals to become
extraordinary coaches.He is also founder of eCoach (www.ecoach.com) which
helps interdisciplinary professionals become coaches.Ben lives in suburban Maryland with his wife and two
young children, and Walnut, their hamster.=================================================
RACHNA D. JAIN, Editor, ABDSG
=================================================
I'm a dissertation coach and licensed psychologist
based in Maryland, with a doctorate from the University
of Denver.I'm the Editor of the ABDSG, as well as the
Author of "Get It Done! A Coach's Guide to Dissertation
Success" and "Get it Done Faster: Secrets of
Dissertation Success".If you'd like to learn more about
me or my books, please visit my website:
http://www.ExcelWithEaseCoaching.com
< http://www.excelwitheasecoaching.com/>
If you have questions about this newsletter, you can
direct them to me:rachna@mentorcoach.comI'm excited to be working with you to meet your
academic goals. You can do it!
=================================================
THE ALL-BUT-DISSERTATION SURVIVAL GUIDE(tm)
================================================="The All-But-Dissertation Survival Guide"(tm) focuses
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=================================================
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