1. Create your free account at Focusmate.com. 

2. Open the dashboard and select one or more available hourly time slots. 

3. Show up on time, ready to work, and meet your accountability partner, who will bring his or her own work. 

4. Briefly share your task with each other, then get to work while each person's live video streams in the background. 

5. Observe the protocols designed to keep you on track, e.g., no chatting, no leaving except bio breaks until time expires. 

6. When the 50 minutes are up, check in with each other and talk about how it went (and share mutual pats on the back if you wish). 

 

According to Focusmate's internal survey, 96% of users report a 50% increase in productivity, matching my personal experience. I especially appreciate how it spares you the effort of locating your own live accountability buddy. A group co-working option is in the works. 

​

If you are struggling with procrastination or distraction and could benefit from immediate accountability, give it a try. Who knows—you may even bump into another dissertation writer with a sweet little puppy. 

​

I love those connections that make this big old world feel like a little village. ~ Gina Bellman

  

​

Stop Doing "Half-Work" and Other Success Tips

 

Real success demands focusing the bulk of your time on what is important, not merely urgent, as Stephen Covey and other productivity gurus explain. In his blog, author James Clear, shares proven tips for nurturing such a habit with these tips (adapted here for dissertation writers): 

​

Eliminate "half-work." Commit yourself to what matters in the long run, he urges. What does that mean for you as an ABD? Carve out time to write your dissertation—then honor it. Avoid letting your attention wander to email, social media, and other time suckers. 

​

Do the most important thing first. This may be the only productivity tip you'll ever need, claims Clear. As the day progresses, chaos picks up while willpower wears down. By tackling in the morning your big task for the day, e.g., outlining the next chapter or incorporating advisor edits, you may find yourself on an upward spiral of productivity. At day's end you will be able to check off at least one important task—and that feels good. 

​

Reduce the scope, but stick to the schedule. In the long run, he observes, following a schedule beats focusing on deadlines. You may get discouraged when you don't hit your daily page goal—but over time, sticking to a writing schedule will get you to the finish line. 

​

For more, see Clear's book, the best-selling Atomic Habits. (Tip: Focusmate, described above, could provide a boost here.) 

​

"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." ~James Clear, Atomic Habits

 

  

Don't Get Lost on the Dissertation Trail: Use a Guide

​

Would you head out on an expensive European trip or a challenging overnight hike without a tour book or map? Of course not. Likewise, avoid going astray on your doctoral adventure. Boost your dissertation savvy by following a well-trusted guide book with up-to-date information and advice about the path, processes, and pitfalls along the way. 

​

One book that does all that is the third edition (2019) of The Dissertation Journey: A Practical and Comprehensive Guide to Planning, Writing, and Defending Your Dissertation. Seasoned doctoral mentors Carol Roberts and Laura Hyatt share best practices from choosing your topic and team to writing to defending both your proposal and final manuscript. Updated resources include links to writing style guides, search engine help, editors, (in the spirit of full disclosure) to the ABD Survival Guide, and more. 

​

Don't miss the Appendix, where you'll find their valuable "Dissertation Content Checklist," a handy list of questions for each chapter to ensure you have everything you need (and eliminate what you don't). This checklist alone is worth the price of the book, a big ROI given the investment you've already made in your education. 

​

Roberts' and Hyatt's proven approach combines concrete tips on the dissertation process as well as wise counsel for the inner struggles and doubts, as reflected in their inspirational quotations such as this one: 

​

"The primary reward is not the goal but what you become as a result of doing all that was necessary to reach the goal." 

~ David McNally 

  

​

Grad Student Dances "The Social Life of Electrons" for $1000

​

Forget your thesis elevator speech—start choreographing the essence of your research. Each year science doctoral candidates eliminate jargon altogether to show off their research in interpretive dance. Sponsored by Science magazine and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the international contest awards $1000 to the winner. 

​

At the most recent "Dance Your Ph.D." competition, University of Alberta physics student Pramodh Senarath Yapa took top honors with his original song-and-dance story of the social life of electrons. 

​

"The judges—a panel of world-renowned artists and scientists—chose Yapa's swinging electron dance from 50 submissions based on both artistic and scientific merits. He takes home $1000 and immortal geek fame," reports John Bohannon in Science Magazine. 

 

​

Grad School Stress Stars in Upcoming Amazon Film 

​

Do family and friends fail to appreciate your ongoing dissertation stress? Don't fret—you can soon refer them to the movie version of Chemistry: A Novel to enlighten them. 

​

In the 2017 book, Weike Wang, an emerging writer with a Harvard chemistry baccalaureate, earned top reviews for her depiction of a Ph.D. student in Boston struggling to live up to everyone's high expectations, including those of her Chinese immigrant parents. When her boyfriend proposes marriage, she tells him "ask me tomorrow." Confused on all fronts, she can't think, yet she realizes if she doesn't decide soon, she might lose everything—her degree, her career, and her beau. 

 

Even sans Chinese parents, many graduate students will identify with the unnamed protagonist as they anxiously battle their own inner and outer demons. For Washington Post's Jamie Fisher, the narrative carries a generational message. "Despite its humor, Chemistry is an emotionally devastating novel about being young today and working to the point of incapacity without knowing what you should really be doing and when you can stop," she writes. 

​

Keep an eye out for the full-length Amazon film late this year or early next year. Meanwhile, keep notes for your own post-doctoral novel. 

 

​

Photo ©2019 Gayle Scroggs