Curiosity is a powerful strength and is a great strength to cultivate if you are writing your dissertation.
Curiosity gives you:
• the will to explore,
• the will to stay with an idea,
• the will to persevere,
• the will to reach a goal,
• and it also gives you joy in the process.
If you have trouble moving into a project or if you are easily distracted, try to engage your curiosity. Engaging your curiosity can help you get started on your writing and then can help you stick with it.
Most people are curious to some degree. The amount or force or extent of curiosity can vary widely from person to person. For curiosity to drive your writing or research or to empower you in your dissertation process, you might want to experiment with some possible ways to crank it up.
Researchers don’t appear ready to tell us definitively how to develop the strength of curiosity in an adult.
But since everyone is at least a little bit curious, there are steps you can take that will make it possible for your curiosity to flower.
At the top of my list as possibilities for increasing curiosity are
• increasing your autonomy,
• taking more control of a project,
• taking a risk.
Other strategies for arousing your curiosity are
• asking questions,
• having someone to talk to about your work,
• having someone to support you and give you feedback.
Asking yourself questions or working with someone who is curious and who will ask questions of you should be a first step in your effort to increase your curiosity.
If you’re interested in talking to someone about your work, let me know! And go to my website (www.nancywhichard.com) to sign up for my Smart Tips e-newsletter.
Here’s to cranking up your curiosity!
Nancy
Nancy Whichard, Ph.D., PCC Your International Dissertation Coach and Academic Career Coach nancy @ nancywhichard.com http://www.nancywhichard.com
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