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Avoid another summer of getting little done on your dissertation while you barely enjoy your free time. Follow these steps for a productive, fun-filled summer. I originally wrote this article for the All-But-Dissertation Survival Guide, for the May 19, 2005 issue.
Ahhhhh. The summer break. So much more free time!
I'll really get a lot done on my dissertation.
Sound familiar?
It's a universal belief. Free time = get more
accomplished. Too bad it's not always true. What
are the reasons that free time doesn't necessarily
lead to productivity?
Let's look at it step by step. Here is a typical
scenario - OK, maybe it's slightly exaggerated.
Day 1. You sit down in front of the computer. You
think about how much writing you need to do. It's
almost overwhelming. So you check your email.
A friend calls, and you meet him for lunch. Soon the
day is shot. It doesn't matter; there's a
whole summer ahead.
Day 2-30. Repeat versions of Day 1.
Day 31. You have begun to be nervous. A month has
passed and you've barely gotten anything
done. You resolve to put in at least 4 solid hours
of writing a day. Starting tomorrow.
Day 32. Just thinking about those 4 hours of writing
makes you ill. You end up playing solitaire on the
computer, cleaning your closet, and hating yourself.
Day 33. Someone asks you how the dissertation is
going, and you realize you want to punch them. Why
do people keep asking you that? Are they
trying to torture you?
You no longer feel as carefree and optimistic
about finishing. The burden of getting something done
feels so pressing that it causes you to procrastinate
further. Your procrastination lowers your self-esteem.
" After all," says your completely logical mind, "with
all this time available, I really should
have gotten substantial work done."
Before you find yourself in this nightmarish scenario,
here are some tips that will not only help you make
better use of your time, but allow you to enjoy your
free time without guilt.
- Even before the free time arrives, make a list
of the big projects you want to accomplish during this
period, and then break them into smaller tasks.
- Continue to let this list percolate. Make notes at
odd moments while you're still busy. Always keep a
little notebook or even just an index card with you so
that you can develop the list and other thoughts
whenever something comes into your mind. Some of our
best thinking occurs at unplanned times.
- Select what you will work on the first week. Don't
set unrealistically high goals for yourself --
this only results in discouragement. Contrary to logic,
taking the excessive internal pressure off tends
to allow you to accomplish more.
- The day before, write down what you will start
with the next day. It's always easier to plan what
you will work on before you sit down to do it.
- Schedule your work periods in small blocks of time;
as short as 15 minutes may be needed to get you started.
If you feel very stuck, read the article I wrote for
the December issue of the ABD Survival Guide on
getting back to work.
http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/News/123004.htm
- Write every day. Spend at least 10 minutes per day
just writing. If you are in the very initial stages
of an idea, do some free writing. If you are at the
editing stage, edit for at least 10 minutes every day.
There is nothing more important than this writing habit
in keeping you feeling fresh and on top of your work.
- At the end of each work period, make a note as to
what you will do when you start up the next time.
- Use your favorite activities as rewards. If looking
at email relaxes you, promise yourself you can look at
it for 20 minutes after you have worked for 40.
If you miss a day or two, don't be hard on yourself,
and don't decide to do extra work. This negative message
will lead to more procrastination. Just start where you
left off.
Finally, schedule your fun time and fully enjoy it.
Feeling guilty never helped anyone write a better
dissertation!
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