By Gayle Scroggs, PhD, PCC

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Do you feel like you're spinning your dissertation wheels?  When progress slows, it’s easy to start telling yourself stories like these I’ve heard from clients:

 

I’m beginning to wonder if I have the brains for a doctorate. 

If only I had more discipline and willpower.

I can’t figure out how to do this. 

 

In my experience, when ABD’s get stuck, it is never due to a lack of brain power or a work ethic. Those probably aren’t holding you back either.

Your academic ability brought you this far. And the fact that you still care about finishing indicates the problem probably isn’t ability or motivation.

 

Most likely you have lost traction.

 

When effort and skill stop producing forward movement, the instinct is to push harder. But that rarely works. Think about driving on ice or getting stuck in mud. When the wheels start spinning, pressing harder on the gas doesn’t solve the problem; the tires simply spin faster.

 

If you want the tires to grip again, you need to change the conditions.  Likewise with a dissertation. Stop pressing harder and start looking for what is interfering with traction.

 

That “something” is friction.

 

Friction here refers to anything that makes movement harder than it needs to be. On a marathon intellectual project like a dissertation, friction usually shows up one or more of these three forms:

 

• Emotional friction — anxiety, perfectionism, fear of judgment, discouragement

• Cognitive friction — uncertainty about expectations, standards, or direction

• Structural friction — schedules, environments, and competing demands that interrupt sustained work

 

To get going again, take our quiz to help you identify which kinds of friction are slowing you down the most right now. 

 

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The Dissertation Friction Quiz

 

Choose the response that feels most true for you right now. Skip items that don’t apply.

 

1. When I think about my dissertation, I mostly feel

     A. A knot of anxiety or dread

     B. Uncertain about what matters most

     C. Pulled in too many directions
 

2. When I sit down to work, I often find that my progress

     A. Stalls because I want to get it exactly right

     B. Slows because I’m not sure I’m heading in the right direction

     C. Breaks down because interruptions pull me away

 

3. My progress tends to stall when

     A. My confidence drops

     B. My thinking starts going in circles

     C. My schedule gets disrupted

 

4. I’m hardest on myself about

     A. Discipline or confidence

     B. Clarity or intelligence

     C. Organization or consistency

 

5. When something doesn’t go well, I think

     A. Maybe I’m not cut out for this

     B. I must be approaching it wrong

     C. I don’t have the right setup or time

 

6. What drains me fastest is

     A. Emotional weight of trying to finish

     B. Mental overload due to ambiguity and uncertainty

     C. Constant switching gears all day

 

7. I tend to delay starting because

     A. Starting feels emotionally heavy

     B. I’m unsure what “good enough” looks like

     C. The logistics feel exhausting

 

8. When I imagine finishing, I feel

     A. Relief mixed with fear

     B. Satisfaction mixed with uncertainty

     C. Hope mixed with “How do I actually get there?”

 

9. My biggest struggle right now is

     A. Managing my moods

     B. Managing my thinking

     C. Managing my daily structure

 

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How to Reduce the Friction

 

Now check your answers.  Did A’s, B’s, or C’s predominate?  You may see one or perhaps two major tendencies (or even all three!) since different kinds of friction can coexist.

 

The encouraging part is that once you see what’s slowing you down, you can begin reducing it.  Here are some strategies that can help with different types of friction:

 

Mostly A’s:  Emotional Friction

• Dissertations often stir up anxiety, perfectionism, fear of judgment, and discouragement. When emotional friction is high, starting feels heavy, so avoidance follows.

• Lower the emotional stakes of each work session by aiming for progress rather than brilliance. Work in smaller units of time—twenty‑five or thirty minutes can be enough to regain momentum.  Share your worries with someone who cares about your progress—perhaps a peer, advisor, or coach.

 

Mostly B’s:  Cognitive Friction

• When expectations are unclear, you may be working hard while constantly wondering whether you’re heading in the right direction.

• Look at completed dissertations in your department to see what “good enough” actually looks like.

• Break the work into concrete decisions and ask advisors for specific feedback rather than general reassurance.

 

Mostly C’s:  Structural Friction 

• Interruptions, competing responsibilities, and constant switching between tasks can quietly destroy momentum.  Where can you rearrange things to better support sustained research time?

• Look for ways to protect writing blocks, reduce interruptions, and simplify your workflow so you focus on one document, one task, one goal.

• Identify less important tasks that can be deleted, deferred, or delegated.

 

 

Enjoy Your Increased Traction

 

Now that you have a clearer idea of where the friction is coming from, commit to taking action to reduce it.  Experiment with one small adjustment this week that reduces that friction.  

 

Watch for signs of increasing traction as you continue to experiment. Notice how much easier it becomes to move your dissertation forward toward the finish line.

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Note: Positive psychology dissertation coaches can help you identify friction sources and restore that needed forward momentum. If you could use someone in your corner, request a complimentary consultation here.

 

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Recommended Resources

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Alter, Adam. Anatomy of a Breakthrough. Explores why progress stalls in creative and intellectual work and how hidden sources of friction can undermine momentum.

 

Fredrickson, Barbara. Positivity. Discusses how positive emotions broaden thinking and build psychological resources with evidence-based tips.

 

Urban, Tim.  TED Talk: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator. A humorous but insightful explanation of the emotional dynamics behind procrastination.

 

Image credit: Photo licensed under CC BY-SA