==================================================
THE ALL-BUT-DISSERTATION SURVIVAL GUIDE(tm)
Devoted to practical steps for completing your
doctoral dissertation.
http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com
==================================================To subscribe, visit www.abdsurvivalguide.com
http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/INDEX
1. Ben's note
2. Sustained Writing Over Time
By Ben Dean, Ph.D.
3. Words of Wisdom
4. Inspirational QuoteSUMMARY
=========In this issue, I offer an article about the pros
and cons of using contingencies (both
positive and negative) to help you finish your
dissertation.We round out this issue with a motivational Words of
Wisdom & an inspirational quote.<>===<>===<>===<>===<>===<>
Ben's Note
April 28, 2005
Dear ABD Survival Guide Reader,
One of the biggest hurdles for any dissertation
writer is how to set up systems to promote
sustained writing over time.This week's issue is a reprint of an article I
wrote several years ago. Since it was so
well received the first time, I thought it might
be useful to those of you who hadn't yet
had the opportunity to read it.If you are interested in setting up a contingency
system for yourself and feel that you would
benefit from some input and guidance on
this process, I wanted to remind you that
we have many skilled dissertation coaches
ready to assist you.Keep writing and see you in two weeks.
Ben
=================================================
Sustained Writing Over Time
By Ben Dean, Ph.D.
=================================================Writing a dissertation is infinitely more manageable if
you master the process of sustained writing over time.
Two of the most important elements of this kind of
writing are:1) committing to a modest daily schedule of work and
2) tying it to a contingency.
Imagine that you're an off-campus ABD avoiding writing.
You approach your dissertation feeling much like you're
bringing together the wrong ends of two magnets.
There's a repulsion. You don't even want to walk over
to the part of the room where your dissertation
material is stored. You haven't looked at it for
months.As time goes by, your imagined future draft becomes
more and more impressive. It *has* to be magnificent,
now that you're so far behind. Thus your standard of
excellence is continually raised. You now feel even
more overwhelmed. And you never touch it.What's an effective way to get started?
Let me tell you a story.
In June, I was coaching a professional client blocked
on writing something that was important for his career.
I began suggesting to him that even though he was
extremely busy, he could make a great deal of progress
if he wrote for only 30 to 45 minutes, five or six
mornings a week before work.I told him that a real key--one that has been found to
work in the literature--was to tie his writing to a
positive daily contingency, to something he enjoyed
doing on a daily basis. He could not allow himself to
enjoy the contingency until he had done his 30 to 45
minutes of daily writing.He immediately decided to try this and committed to
writing 45 minutes every morning before he would allow
himself to experience a favorite daily ritual --
reading the New York Times as he sipped a cup of
coffee.Specifically, he promised to leave the Times in its
protective plastic sleeve until he had put in 45
minutes on his writing project.As I coached him on this, I heard the words I was
saying and -- being the "wizard" that I am -- realized
this concept could also apply to me.Since Christmas, I had been blocked on finishing an
article that I wanted to write. I "somehow" never
managed to make it a priority.I decided to tell my client about my own remarkably
similar predicament. And we then both agreed to write
every day, e-mailing progress reports to each other as
we went along.My agreement was to work for 30 minutes every weekday
morning. I would not allow myself to check my e-mail
until I was finished. For me, this was a powerful
incentive to write. The second my computer is on each
morning, I log on and scan my e-mail. It's both
enjoyable and an important part of staying in touch
with clients and colleagues. I have to read my e-mail.
So, if I truly honored the contingency, my writing
would be vaulted to the top of each day's to-do list.By the next morning, both of us were writing. And within
a matter of weeks, my client had finished his writing
project. Just as newsworthy within a few weeks after
that, I finished my article, as well.There were temptations to cut corners. At least once,
I didn't get my requisite 30 minutes in until after 11:00
at night. But I was determined to do it every single day.Even if I spent the time freewriting an ultimately
discarded draft, the daily contact with my work was
involving and powerful. In fact, within ten minutes of
starting on the first day, I knew this approach would
bear fruit.The whole episode reminded me again of the power of
this daily-contingency technique. And it can work for
you.What do you need to successfully use this strategy
yourself?Well, if you're an off-campus ABD, it's easy for your
writing to be squeezed into last place and to never
occur. And it's easy to avoid if you feel you have to
produce a marathon chunk of writing to really get
going.So an important part of making this technique work is
to do as little as 10 minutes to 60 minutes a day. The
ideal time is in the morning. Do it maybe five or six
days a week, so you're giving yourself at least one day
off. Don't overdo it. Avoid trying to work for large
blocks of time.You're much, much more likely to maintain a productive
work schedule if you do a little bit every day -- day
after day after day. Even if you can't bear to write
on a particular day, at least spend the time reading
and thinking about the project, so you're still staying
in contact with it on a daily basis.The second half of the technique involves choosing just
the right contingency.What types of rewards should you pick? Enjoyable daily
rituals or tasks that you'd really miss. In my
client's case, he would have foregone an extremely
pleasant daily ritual -- reading his newspaper over
coffee.In my own case, checking my e-mail was both enjoyable
and necessary for my professional work. It was an
important source of information that I could not
imagine doing without.(Parenthetically, there was a second advantage of
delaying my e-mail checking. Responding to e-mail is,
I discovered, a seemingly constructive way to
procrastinate. It's far more fun to respond in
exquisite detail to a colleague's request for help than
to face an important but difficult piece of work.)Some people argue that if these favorable contingencies
don't work, you should up the ante, instituting a
negative contingency instead.My experience is that usually it's not necessary. But
there are abundant examples in the literature, and over
the years I've tried some of them.At one point, about 10 years ago, I was working with a
professor who gave herself deadlines for chapters on a
book she was writing.The negative contingency she chose was destroying her
exquisite $700 suit. She would hand the suit over to afriend who agreed to burn it if she had not finished
the chapter by the target date.For her, this worked every single time.
In another case, one of my clients used a classic
negative contingency. He was quite liberal. As his
negative contingency, he made out a $200 check to the
Jesse Helms Reelection Campaign.He gave the check to a friend with firm instructions to
mail the check to Senator Helms' office if he had not
met his deadline by the following Monday.It worked well for a couple of weeks, but then he
missed the deadline. Like clockwork, his friend mailed
the check. The amusing consequence (aside from losing
the money and being chagrined) was that for years
after, he received regular letters from Jesse Helms
asking for more money to help save the Republic.But while negative contingencies can work, the weak
spot in both of these examples was that they weren't
based on daily behavior. Instead, they were deadline
driven--encouraging last-minute binges and undermining
longterm, sustained productivity.So when you're blocked on a huge project like a
dissertation, one of the first places to start is to
commit to a small amount of time, make it daily, and
tie it to a positive contingency. If you do this,
you're almost certain to make progress.=================================================
About Ben Dean, Ph.D.
=================================================Ben holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University
of Texas at Austin and is a psychologist in private
practice in Bethesda, Maryland.=================================================
Words of Wisdom
=================================================You can overcome procrastination by rewarding yourself
for every little bit you get done. This is not the
time to think you don't need rewards. You might even
need extra rewards. Whatever it takes - do it. Get
the dissertation done.=================================================
Inspirational Quote
================================================="Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience
wisely."
-- Auguste Rodin --=================================================
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
on ways to help its readers more readily overcome the
roadblocks that often seem to stand in the way of
completing the dissertation. It is read throughout
the world.=================================================
INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH A DISSERTATION COACH?
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
=================================================
Email: ben16-76471@autocontactor.com
You'll receive an email outlining the application
process, follow the instructions and submit the
form. Your application will then be forwarded to
potential coaches so that you might arrange a free,
initial consultation. Various fee plans are available.=================================================
ABOUT TO GRADUATE?
=================================================First, congratulations!!!! Yeaaaaaa!!!! Second,
please send any email to: FreeAtLast@mentorcoach.com
Within seconds, you'll receive a note from Ben.=================================================
A FAVOR
=================================================There are more than a million graduate students in
the US alone. Although we have subscribers worldwide,
we have barely scratched the surface. If you find this
newsletter helpful, forward it with your endorsement
to your friends, ABD list servers, sympathetic faculty
and administration, and, editors of print publications
(who will have our full permission to reprint these
newsletters - for free - if they wish).=================================================
ARCHIVE
=================================================Past issues of this newsletter are available at
http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com=================================================
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
=================================================If you've received this copy from a friend or
colleague and would like your own subscription,
you can sign up for it directly at
http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/subscribe.htm
If you would like to have your name removed from
the subscription list, please click the link
at the bottom of this page to unsubscribe.
If this does not work, please send your
unsubscribe request to cathy@mentorcoach.com=================================================
CONTACT INFORMATION
=================================================
Ben J. Dean, Ph.D MentorCoach(tm)
Voice: 301-986-5688
Fax: 301-913-9447
Web: www.abdsurvivalguide.com
Web: www.mentorcoach.com(c)Copyright 2005 Ben J. Dean.
All rights reserved.
==================================================
THE ALL-BUT-DISSERTATION SURVIVAL GUIDE(tm)
Devoted to practical steps for completing your
doctoral dissertation.
http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com
==================================================To subscribe, visit www.abdsurvivalguide.com
http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/INDEX
1. Ben's note
2. Sustained Writing Over Time
By Dr. Ben J. Dean
3. Words of Wisdom
4. Inspirational QuoteSUMMARY
=========In this issue, Dr. Ben J. Dean offers us an excellent
article about the pros and cons of using contingencies
(both positive and negative) to help you finish your
dissertation.We round out this issue with a motivational Words of
Wisdom & an inspirational quote.<>===<>===<>===<>===<>===<>
Ben's Note
April 28, 2005
Dear ABD Survival Guide Reader,
One of the biggest hurdles for any dissertation
writer is how to set up systems to promote
sustained writing over time.This week's issue is a reprint of an article I
wrote several years ago. Since it was so
well received the first time, I thought it might
be useful to those of you who hadn't yet
had the opportunity to read it.If you are interested in setting up a contingency
system for yourself and feel that you would
benefit from some input and guidance on
this process, I wanted to remind you that
we have many skilled dissertation coaches
ready to assist you.Keep writing and see you in two weeks.
Ben
=================================================
Sustained Writing Over Time
By Dr. Ben J. Dean
=================================================Writing a dissertation is infinitely more manageable if
you master the process of sustained writing over time.
Two of the most important elements of this kind of
writing are:1) committing to a modest daily schedule of work and
2) tying it to a contingency.
Imagine that you're an off-campus ABD avoiding writing.
You approach your dissertation feeling much like you're
bringing together the wrong ends of two magnets.
There's a repulsion. You don't even want to walk over
to the part of the room where your dissertation
material is stored. You haven't looked at it for
months.As time goes by, your imagined future draft becomes
more and more impressive. It *has* to be magnificent,
now that you're so far behind. Thus your standard of
excellence is continually raised. You now feel even
more overwhelmed. And you never touch it.What's an effective way to get started?
Let me tell you a story.
In June, I was coaching a professional client blocked
on writing something that was important for his career.
I began suggesting to him that even though he was
extremely busy, he could make a great deal of progress
if he wrote for only 30 to 45 minutes, five or six
mornings a week before work.I told him that a real key--one that has been found to
work in the literature--was to tie his writing to a
positive daily contingency, to something he enjoyed
doing on a daily basis. He could not allow himself to
enjoy the contingency until he had done his 30 to 45
minutes of daily writing.He immediately decided to try this and committed to
writing 45 minutes every morning before he would allow
himself to experience a favorite daily ritual --
reading the New York Times as he sipped a cup of
coffee.Specifically, he promised to leave the Times in its
protective plastic sleeve until he had put in 45
minutes on his writing project.As I coached him on this, I heard the words I was
saying and -- being the "wizard" that I am -- realized
this concept could also apply to me.Since Christmas, I had been blocked on finishing an
article that I wanted to write. I "somehow" never
managed to make it a priority.I decided to tell my client about my own remarkably
similar predicament. And we then both agreed to write
every day, e-mailing progress reports to each other as
we went along.My agreement was to work for 30 minutes every weekday
morning. I would not allow myself to check my e-mail
until I was finished. For me, this was a powerful
incentive to write. The second my computer is on each
morning, I log on and scan my e-mail. It's both
enjoyable and an important part of staying in touch
with clients and colleagues. I have to read my e-mail.
So, if I truly honored the contingency, my writing
would be vaulted to the top of each day's to-do list.By the next morning, both of us were writing. And within
a matter of weeks, my client had finished his writing
project. Just as newsworthy within a few weeks after
that, I finished my article, as well.There were temptations to cut corners. At least once,
I didn't get my requisite 30 minutes in until after 11:00
at night. But I was determined to do it every single day.Even if I spent the time freewriting an ultimately
discarded draft, the daily contact with my work was
involving and powerful. In fact, within ten minutes of
starting on the first day, I knew this approach would
bear fruit.The whole episode reminded me again of the power of
this daily-contingency technique. And it can work for
you.What do you need to successfully use this strategy
yourself?Well, if you're an off-campus ABD, it's easy for your
writing to be squeezed into last place and to never
occur. And it's easy to avoid if you feel you have to
produce a marathon chunk of writing to really get
going.So an important part of making this technique work is
to do as little as 10 minutes to 60 minutes a day. The
ideal time is in the morning. Do it maybe five or six
days a week, so you're giving yourself at least one day
off. Don't overdo it. Avoid trying to work for large
blocks of time.You're much, much more likely to maintain a productive
work schedule if you do a little bit every day -- day
after day after day. Even if you can't bear to write
on a particular day, at least spend the time reading
and thinking about the project, so you're still staying
in contact with it on a daily basis.The second half of the technique involves choosing just
the right contingency.What types of rewards should you pick? Enjoyable daily
rituals or tasks that you'd really miss. In my
client's case, he would have foregone an extremely
pleasant daily ritual -- reading his newspaper over
coffee.In my own case, checking my e-mail was both enjoyable
and necessary for my professional work. It was an
important source of information that I could not
imagine doing without.(Parenthetically, there was a second advantage of
delaying my e-mail checking. Responding to e-mail is,
I discovered, a seemingly constructive way to
procrastinate. It's far more fun to respond in
exquisite detail to a colleague's request for help than
to face an important but difficult piece of work.)Some people argue that if these favorable contingencies
don't work, you should up the ante, instituting a
negative contingency instead.My experience is that usually it's not necessary. But
there are abundant examples in the literature, and over
the years I've tried some of them.At one point, about 10 years ago, I was working with a
professor who gave herself deadlines for chapters on a
book she was writing.The negative contingency she chose was destroying her
exquisite $700 suit. She would hand the suit over to afriend who agreed to burn it if she had not finished
the chapter by the target date.For her, this worked every single time.
In another case, one of my clients used a classic
negative contingency. He was quite liberal. As his
negative contingency, he made out a $200 check to the
Jesse Helms Reelection Campaign.He gave the check to a friend with firm instructions to
mail the check to Senator Helms' office if he had not
met his deadline by the following Monday.It worked well for a couple of weeks, but then he
missed the deadline. Like clockwork, his friend mailed
the check. The amusing consequence (aside from losing
the money and being chagrined) was that for years
after, he received regular letters from Jesse Helms
asking for more money to help save the Republic.But while negative contingencies can work, the weak
spot in both of these examples was that they weren't
based on daily behavior. Instead, they were deadline
driven--encouraging last-minute binges and undermining
longterm, sustained productivity.So when you're blocked on a huge project like a
dissertation, one of the first places to start is to
commit to a small amount of time, make it daily, and
tie it to a positive contingency. If you do this,
you're almost certain to make progress.=================================================
About Dr. Ben J. Dean
=================================================Ben holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University
of Texas at Austin and is a psychologist in private
practice in Bethesda, Maryland.=================================================
Words of Wisdom
=================================================You can overcome procrastination by rewarding yourself
for every little bit you get done. This is not the
time to think you don't need rewards. You might even
need extra rewards. Whatever it takes - do it. Get
the dissertation done.=================================================
Inspirational Quote
================================================="Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience
wisely."
-- Auguste Rodin --=================================================
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
on ways to help its readers more readily overcome the
roadblocks that often seem to stand in the way of
completing the dissertation. It is read throughout
the world.=================================================
INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH A DISSERTATION COACH?
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
=================================================
Email: ben16-76471@autocontactor.com
You'll receive an email outlining the application
process, follow the instructions and submit the
form. Your application will then be forwarded to
potential coaches so that you might arrange a free,
initial consultation. Various fee plans are available.=================================================
ABOUT TO GRADUATE?
=================================================First, congratulations!!!! Yeaaaaaa!!!! Second,
please send any email to: FreeAtLast@mentorcoach.com
Within seconds, you'll receive a note from Ben.=================================================
A FAVOR
=================================================There are more than a million graduate students in
the US alone. Although we have subscribers worldwide,
we have barely scratched the surface. If you find this
newsletter helpful, forward it with your endorsement
to your friends, ABD list servers, sympathetic faculty
and administration, and, editors of print publications
(who will have our full permission to reprint these
newsletters - for free - if they wish).=================================================
ARCHIVE
=================================================Past issues of this newsletter are available at
http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com=================================================
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
=================================================If you've received this copy from a friend or
colleague and would like your own subscription,
you can sign up for it directly at
http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/subscribe.htm
If you would like to have your name removed from
the subscription list, please click the link
at the bottom of this page to unsubscribe.
If this does not work, please send your
unsubscribe request to cathy@mentorcoach.com=================================================
CONTACT INFORMATION
=================================================
Ben Dean, Ph.D MentorCoach(tm)
Voice: 301-986-5688
Fax: 301-913-9447
Web: www.abdsurvivalguide.com
Web: www.mentorcoach.com(c)Copyright 2005 Ben J. Dean.
All rights reserved.