Set Yourself Up for Success
by Carol Solomon, Ph.D.
May 11, 2001
><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~>< SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS Carol Solomon, Ph.D. ><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~>< Imagine being able to approach your dissertation with a spirit of optimism, forward thinking and openness rather than dread and apprehension. In all of my years of practicing psychology, I have seen people undertake some pretty incredible journeys, some courageously, some with great apprehension and outright fearfulness. Those who are the most successful are not necessarily the most intelligent. Nor have they chosen the easiest path. Those who are most successful seem to be the ones who set themselves up for success and are willing to stay on the path no matter what. Completing a dissertation is more about persistence than anything else. But it also helps to set yourself up for success from the beginning. The road to success is paved with the choices you make. So choose wisely . . . 1. Choose a topic that is doable. Many dissertation writers initially adopt an idealistic and grandiose stance. You want to make a significant contribution. You may even want to publish your work. So you aim high. Your scope is broad. I started out this way, but I modified my position because of an experience that I had. I had a wonderful relationship with a clinical supervisor who was not part of my dissertation committee. She was a well-known psychologist and her husband was the head of a psychology graduate department. One night I was at their home for dinner and we were chatting about where I was in my program when she realized that I would soon be searching for a dissertation topic. She called to her husband, who was in the kitchen getting us guacamole: "Honey, we need a quick-and-dirty-dissertation for Carol". We laughed and laughed that night, but her message was serious. She was a firm believer in committing to a doable project, and moving on to the business of making money. It was a turning point for me. I got the message and I am passing it on to you. That night not only changed my attitude, it moved me to action. I was no longer basking in the glow of what my dissertation could represent. As it turned out, my dissertation was not the quickest or the dirtiest, but it was "doable". Because of that conversation, I became much more focused. My mission was clear. So consider what is practical and realistic for you and limit your scope if necessary. 2. Choose your committee carefully. These are your judges and jury -- your ticket to pass "go". So choose people you trust, people who are humane, straightforward and available. Choose people who can work with you and with each other, people who have no hidden agenda and who have a reputation for helping students move forward and graduate. These professors are vitally important to your success. They are holding the stick that you must jump over, the hoop you must crawl through; you want them on your side. 3. Get an attitude. I'm not recommending that you become irreverent or hard-lined with your committee. Quite the opposite. The attitude I recommend is one of cooperative assertiveness. You have the right to be firm with your committee and to negotiate. It is usually best to avoid power struggles, but if you allow yourself to get stepped on, you and your dissertation may get squashed. By all means be cooperative with your committee. After all, you are learning, and a respectful learning attitude is helpful. During the course of my dissertation process, one of my committee members suggested that I could do x, y and z. Since he didn't say I had to do x, y and z, my response was "Yes, I could do x, y and z, but that sounds like another dissertation." Luckily for me, he didn't pursue it. 4. Put it in perspective. Your dissertation is not your life. It may not even be your life's work. If you want to make it your life's work, you can always do it after you graduate when you are being paid to do research. It is the means to an end and a new beginning. It may be scary to think about, but you will graduate when you have completed this project and be addressed by the title "doctor". One story I heard while going through this process always helped me to keep things in perspective. When a former student was asked what she used her dissertation for, she replied "to prop up my toddler at the dinner table". 5. Trust yourself. This is your project and you have to trust your own mind. You need to count on yourself more than anyone else. It is you who have gotten yourself this far, and it is up to you to finish. I turned down an offer to write a grant to fund my project because I knew it would slow me down and make me accountable for more red tape and paperwork. I also chose to run my project by myself, because I knew I could count on myself to show up no matter what, and you already know that 80% of any project is showing up. This doesn't mean that it would be wrong for you to accept help and support. But you must think through the worst-case scenarios and consider what the impact would be if they happened. ><~><~><~><~><~><~><~>< About Carol Solomon ><~><~><~><~><~><~><~>< Carol Solomon, Ph.D. is an accomplished psychologist and professional coach. She completed her doctorate in psychology in 1986 at North Carolina State University. Since her anxiety drove her to complete her dissertation prior to her internship, she never officially earned the title ABD. Carol lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and daughter. She loves to use the accelerated techniques in coaching to help clients achieve success in their personal and professional lives. She continues to reinvent her own life through learning and challenging herself to enjoy the journey. Carol welcomes comments and questions about the dissertation process. Contact Carol at (847) 680-0272 or email her at mailto:tw@iconnect.net . ============= 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. In addition to his clinical practice, Ben loves to train professionals to become virtual coaches. If you would like to see Ben's *other* free newsletter, you may subscribe at: http://www.mentorcoach.com/ If you would like to attend any of Ben's upcoming workshops, send any email to mailto:workshop@mentorcoach.com Ben lives in suburban Maryland with his wife and two children. CONTACT INFORMATION ---------------------------------- Ben J. Dean, Ph.D MentorCoach(sm) Voice: 301-986-5688 Fax: 301-913-9447 Email: mailto:ben@mentorcoach.com Web: www.ecoach.com/ Web: www.mentorcoach.com (c) Copyright 2001 Ben J. Dean. All rights reserved. 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