Happy April! As winter slowly turns into spring and many of us shake off the winter blues, it is a good time to evaluate your professional and personal goals, and the milestones that you need to complete your doctoral thesis. Do you ever wish that you were more productive work? We all carry the power to inspire ourselves and those around us at any time. In the next few weeks, I will be publishing a series of blogs that include all the tools you need for inspiration, motivation and maximizing productivity to complete your doctoral thesis.
Part 1: Find your purpose
When I was a postdoc, I saw an inspiring quote: “Vision is seeing what will be,” which is a fantastic reminder while working on a long-term project such as a doctoral thesis. When faced big projects most students begin by exploring “what” they need to do and “how” to do it. Logical, right? In and ideal world all you would need to do is check off everything on your list and then you get your degree. The problem with this approach is that things almost never go according to plan. There will be setbacks, and perhaps you will be back to square one. Your enthusiasm might wane, and you might find yourself puzzled not knowing what to do in order to complete your doctoral thesis. You might even wonder whether it is worth staying in graduate school.
There is a better way. Instead of “what do I need to do” or “how can I accomplish this goal” I would like to invite you to ask a more profound question. For a few second, consider the following question: “Why” is it important for you to get your degree? “Why” do you want to answer the question proposed in your thesis? How will your life be different once you get your degree? Why is your thesis important for your field of research?
Take for example the true story of graduate student who lost her grandmother to cancer when she was only 10 years old. Her grandmother had raised her, and as she stood by her grandmother’s bedside she made a commitment to find a cure for this terrible illness. She kept her commitment in her heart and mind while she completed her doctoral thesis, and as a cancer researcher later on, because she was driven by the desire to spare others from the terrible pain her grandmother had to endure. This student’s success, as demonstrated by her publication record and career path, was not due to luck or a very high IQ, but to her commitment to save other people’s lives.
While most of us are fortunate enough not to have lost a close family member in childhood, we all have a burning desire to accomplish something for the greater good.
To get your doctoral thesis back on track, really think about “why” it is so important to get your Masters or PhD? The “how” (the actual technicalities of accomplishing your goal), is secondary. If you are 100% committed (like the graduate student above) you will find a way to make an original contribution to your field, help the greater good and get your degree. There will be no hurdle too big for you to jump over.
Once you find your true purpose (or calling), getting the day-to-day tasks done will come with ease. Over the next few weeks I will continue this series by helping you: 1) build realistic short and long-term plans that are in alignment with your underlying purpose, 2) follow through on your commitments and 3) increase motivation (and beat procrastination) with well-tested tools. I hope that during the next week you will find a few minutes to think about your true purpose, why your doctoral thesis and research are so important, and how your life and those of others will be different once you accomplish your goals.