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THE ALL-BUT-DISSERTATION SURVIVAL GUIDE™ The All-But-Dissertation Survival Guide™ 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. Want to become a coach?New MentorCoach Training Programs launching. Subscribe to our other ezines: INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH A DISSERTATION
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE - September 6, 2006
3. Five Secrets to Add More Time to Your Day
Carrie Silver-Stock, MSW, LCSW
4. Free Dissertation Teleclass on September 13
September 6, 2006
A Note from the Editor
Tracy Steen, Ph.D.
What does your email inbox say about you?
According to psychologist Dave Greenfield, how you handle the contents of your inbox speaks volumes. In fact, he contends that "inboxes are metaphors for our lives."
Do you keep your inbox full to overflowing? That may indicate clutter in other aspects of your life as well. Perhaps you cling to the past, or maybe you have personal business that was left unfinished. Hmmm….
On the other hand, Dr. Greenfield suggests that a meticulously tidy inbox may reflect an inclination to move on quickly, a proclivity that can lead to missed opportunities: "You may be pulling the trigger too fast and missing the richness of life." Another hmmm….
However much or however little credence you give to psychologists' speculations, they can sometimes direct our thoughts in such a way that we come up with our own productive insights. So, what about your inbox? Is it full to overflowing? Even if Dr. Greenfield's other observations don't fit, your overloaded box may be an ongoing source of anxiety. And you don't need any more anxiety!
And what if your inbox is scrupulously tidy? Ph.D. candidates are often somewhat compulsive, perhaps inclined to check and clear their inbox with so much frequency that it interferes with overall efficiency. Is it possible that your preoccupation with order retards your success in accomplishing other tasks?
ABD Survival Guide has addressed the email issue before with a slightly different twist. You may want to review "Technology Is Not Your Friend" in our archives. And check out this month's guest article in which Carrie Silver-Stock likewise identifies email as a possible culprit. We can't live without it, but we can certainly live less stressful, more productive lives when it's under control!
Inspirational Quote
Time flies. It's up to you to be the navigator.
--Robert Orben
Five Secrets to Add More Time to Your Day
Carrie Silver-Stock, MSW, LCSW
Have you ever met someone who seemed to have an incredible ability to maximize her time? Someone who seemed like he had 36 hours in his day? Are they super human? Or, have they figured out a secret way to add hours to their day? By making a few small changes in your daily routine, you too can begin to feel like you've added more time to every day. Here are a few ways to get started.
1) Prioritize:
To begin the process of adding more time to your day, you will want to ask
yourself a few important questions.
1) What are my real priorities for the day or the week?
2) Where does my time go now?
3) Is my time currently being spent on the priorities I've listed at number
one?
4) What is really important for me to accomplish and what is just busy work?
5) Finally, where do I really want my time to go?
2) Schedule Important Events:
After you've answered these questions for yourself, schedule the important
events or activities that are a priority for you. For example, if you have
decided that physical fitness is a priority, when are you going to fit in
the four weekly workouts? If the dissertation is a priority (and I would think
so!) what dates will you set as deadlines for each of the steps toward completion
of the dissertation? Without writing down when you are going to work on something,
the tendency is to push those tasks to the wayside.
3) Minimize Distractions:
Too often when we are preparing to complete a project, small and large distractions
tend to take us off course. It can be as simple as the temptation to check
our email, talk to friends, or answer the phone. Try to create a space where
you can minimize your distractions. Close your office door for 30 minutes.
Send all your phone messages to voicemail, or plan on checking your email
only at three set times a day.
4) Energize:
Sometimes a feeling of low energy can zap us of any desire to get tasks done.
There are a few simple things you can do to enliven your day.
1) Take a look at what time of day you work best. Are you a morning person
or an evening person? Capitalize on your best work times.
2) Don't forget to eat breakfast. According to Bonnie Spring, Ph.D., eating
breakfast can prevent many of the adverse effects of fasting, such as irritability
and fatigue.
3) Add a little exercise to your day. If you aren't one to exercise for 20-30
minutes a day, getting up to stretch or simply adding a 10-15 minute walk
during your day may give you that boost you need.
4) Don't forget to drink more water. Many studies have shown that simply being
dehydrated can cause fatigue and dull your critical thinking abilities (www.clevelandclinic.org).
5) Ask for Help:
Asking for help can come in many forms. Sometimes it's easy to overlook how
a task can be divided up or delegated to other co-workers or members of the
family. Another strategy can be to hire help. Maybe budgeting a little extra
money for a babysitter or a cleaning service could be well worth your money,
depending on the value of your time.
With some creative thought and effort, you really can find the extra time you need to finish your dissertation and still have time for your life. Try these five steps--You may become the one in whom your friends stand in awe as you make more room in your day!
About Carrie Silver-Stock, MSW, LCSW
Carrie Silver-Stock, MSW, LCSW, is a personal and professional life coach. Carrie loves working with individuals to create life balance, achieve their goals, and live out their dreams. For more information, call 314-374-5795 or visit www.livinghappyandhealthy.com. Join Carrie at www.livinghappyandhealthy.blogspot.com.
Free Teleclass by Marcia Lindsey, Ph.D.
Dissertation Momentum
Get The Habits That Will Keep You Moving
OVERCOME PROCRASTINATION
GET MOVING ON YOUR WRITING
DEVELOP WRITING HABITS THAT WILL KEEP YOU GOING
GET THE SUPPORT OF OTHER ABDs AND A COACH
Writing a dissertation can be a lonely business. It is often the most unstructured experience of our educational career. Thus, it is easy to put it aside for the demands of work, teaching or other aspects of daily life. At one time or another, all of us have put off doing things that we know are important to get done. This is especially true when the work is difficult or stressful, like writing a dissertation. This free teleclass offers strategies for moving out of procrastination and developing productive writing habits that can carry you through to the finish line.
MARCIA LINDSEY is a psychologist and coach in private practice who has enjoyed
helping people overcome their fears, avoidance and personal challenges for
more than 25 years. She has a Doctorate in psychology from the University
of Denver and lives in Houston, Texas. Marcia has longstanding interest in
helping those with issues of procrastination, need for time management and
personal skills for life success.
TELECLASS IS BY CALL-IN TO A BRIDGELINE ON
Wednesday, September 13 at 6pm Eastern Time (5 Central, 4 Mountain 3 Pacific).
To sign up for this class, or for further information, please contact Marcia
at mjlin@coachingworksml.com
Dr. TRACY STEEN, Editor, ABDSG
Tracy Steen, Ph.D. , is a clinical psychologist and dissertation
coach in Philadelphia, PA. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan
and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in positive psychology at the University
of Pennsylvania. Dr. Steen draws on her research background in positive psychology
in her coaching work with writers, helping them to remove internal obstacles
so they can find more engagement and flow in their work. You can contact Dr.
Steen with questions about this newsletter or about writing coaching in general
at tracy@mentorcoach.com. You can
also visit her website at www.tracysteen.com
YOUR OWN COACH
If you are considering whether to get your own coach to help you
reach your academic goals, send any email to the following: ben16-76471@autocontactor.com
BEN DEAN, Publisher, ABDSG
Ben holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.
He began writing the ABDSG in 1997. Over the years, the ABDSG has provided
thousands of hours of pro bono coaching and teleworkshops to ABDs all over
the world. Ben is also the founder of MentorCoach (www.MentorCoach.com),
a virtual university focused on training accomplished helping professionals
to become extraordinary coaches. He is also founder of eCoach (www.ecoach.com),
which trains interdisciplinary professionals to become superb coaches. Finally
you must subscribe to the Coaching
Toward Happiness eNewsletter! It's on applying the new science of
Positive Psychology to your work and life (131,000 readers). Ben lives in
suburban Maryland with his wife, Janice, their two children, and Norman, their
Norwegian dwarf bunny. They all love coaching from the beach!
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