“How would I rate my self-care this week, particularly in the area of exercise?” is one of the questions I ask my clients to think about before we have our coaching call. Since many of my coaching clients are writers, and many of those writers are trying to find time to write a dissertation, I [...]
Archive for July, 2009
Like Writing, Exercise Needs to be a Habit: Nine Benefits for Writers
Posted in anxiety, coaching, creativity, discipline, dissertation coach, dissertation writing, exercise, getting started, happiness, inertia, isolated, planning, productivity, restart writing, running, self-care, start writing, time, time management, write more easily, writing, tagged exercise enhances mood, exercising is an aid to writing, plan schedule around exercise on July 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Drama in Your Life? How Do You Refocus and Get Back to Producing Text?
Posted in academic, anxiety, dissertation coach, distractions, focus, life, re-group, re-start, regrouping, restart writing, restarting, setbacks, using your strengths, tagged distractions, emotional responses, life getting in the way of writing, setbacks, small problems, using your strengths on July 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Are you negotiating some of life’s bits and pieces today in order to write your dissertation? Has something gotten to you today or this week? It happens. We’re knocked about every day, but we keep going, even with pressures about fitting everything into our schedules, uncertainties about jobs, and, if you commute to work, traffic. [...]
Summer Productivity Tips: Use the August Hype for Successful Writing
Posted in coaching, academic, distractions, productivity, dissertation coach, dissertation writing, restart writing, dissertation advisors, motivation, New Year's Resolution, accountability, boundaries, advisor, dissertation boot camp, tagged dissertation coaching, writing, dissertation boot camp, motivation, successful writing, marketing, summer productivity, use the hype, working full time, juggling dissertation, success is a habit, writing habit on July 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
What does August have in common with January and New Year’s? If you are an academic writer, a PhD in academia, or an ABD, the last half of summer and August, in particular, may be the calm before the storm, the last best chance to do some serious writing before classes start and maybe before your [...]
Are You Using Others to Shield You from Your Dissertation?
Posted in writing, dissertation, coaching, procrastination, self-sabotage, dissertation coach, determination, perseverance, writing, dissertation writing, top strengths, using your strengths, self-deception, motivation, mental toughness, family, deadline, finishing the dissertation, tagged ability to love, excuses, family as excuse, family obligations, juggling dissertation and family, others matter, what motivates me on July 18, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Putting others first is a strength, but using that strength casually and even irresponsibly can lead to procrastinating on your dissertation. If one of your top strengths is the ability to love and be loved, you can be assured that you won’t be lonely in your old age. Probably you won’t be lonely before you [...]
Road Blocks to Finishing Your Dissertation: Slacking off, Celebrating too Soon, Determined to be Perfect
Posted in academic, advisor, coaching, discipline, dissertation advisors, dissertation boot camp, dissertation coach, dissertation writing, distractions, finishing the dissertation, following through, getting started, mental toughness, perseverance, productivity, reasons for not writing, resilience, restart writing, self-deception, self-sabotage, setbacks, using your strengths, tagged challenges, completing, distractions, finishing the dissertation, letting your strength get you in trouble, messing up, momentum, overwhelm, paralyzed, perfectionist, slacking off, slowing down on July 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
When the end of your dissertation is in sight, what will you do? If you’re struggling just to get started on your dissertation, the question “What will you do when the end is in sight” must sound rhetorical at best and silly at worst. Nevertheless, I’ve learned from my clients that minefields await writers when [...]
To Produce Writing, Toughen Your Resolve and Reign in Your Curiosity
Posted in academic, coaching, curiosity, deadline, determination, discipline, dissertation boot camp, dissertation coach, dissertation writing, focus, goals, mental toughness, perseverance, productivity, research, take charge, top strengths, using your strengths, writing, tagged curiosity, derail writing, love of learning, meet deadline, mental toughness takes strategic planning, produce text, signature strengths on July 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Writers, particularly dissertators, often share the character strengths of curiosity and love of learning. Do you have both of those strengths? If you’re writing a dissertation, I’ll bet you do. Many of my clients possess those two powerful strengths (I ask all of my coaching clients to take the VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire at www.authentichappiness.com,). [...]
How to Re-start Your Dissertation after a Vacation, Part I
Posted in academic, anxiety, coaching, commitment, dissertation coach, dissertation writing, distractions, email, getting started, planning, re-start, restarting, time management, write more easily, writing, tagged plan ahead for returning to the dissertation, returning from vacation, starting to write after a vacation on July 2, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Re-entry into most any job after a vacation is hard, but sometimes coming back to your diss can be particularly punishing. Your mind is still in that faraway (or close by) place, and you’re feeling not only unsettled, but more than a little resistant to the writing. Next time—plan for your return. If you’re taking [...]
Happy Canada Day!
Posted in dissertation coach, writing, zest, tagged Canada Day, time for fun on July 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Happy Canada Day to all of my readers, friends, and clients in Canada! All the best, Nancy Nancy Whichard, Ph.D., PCC Your International Dissertation and Academic Career Coach nancy@nancywhichard.com www.nancywhichard.com
