“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
—Aristotle
How are you doing with building your writing habit? Are you writing your dissertation?
It’s easy to play around on email or to read and even respond to blogs, but sitting down and starting a writing session is hard. I talk every day with people engaged in serious, difficult research and analysis. Most have demanding advisors. A writing session can come with high-stakes. Moving into it can be an intricate maneuver.
In my March newsletter of Smart Tips for Writers, I wrote about the importance of putting a routine in place. I’ve had feedback from several people, saying that they found my plan helpful. One person said that “developing daily routines” had “helped disconnect the mental inertia,” and “writing in small sections” made “the task more manageable.”
Not only is it important to have a sequence of steps preparing you and leading you to your writing session, but it’s also important that you have a block of time that you’ve given over to the writing. Some have given a daily block of 4 hours, others give 2 hours; another person with a 1 year-old, and a 1 ½ hour commute to a major university where she teaches is committing to 15 minutes every morning before she leaves home. However long or short the block of time, working on your dissertation during that time period must be a daily action. Consistency. Practice, practice, practice.
The people who joined my Dissertation Boot Camp say that establishing the writing habit has been pivotal to their moving closer to the goal of finishing their dissertation.
Do you have the habit? Are you writing daily? Go to my website (www.nancywhichard.com). Check out my Dissertation Boot Camp, and sign up for my Smart Tips for Writers Newsletter.
I’d love to hear what has been instrumental to your success. What do you have in place that is serving your goal?
Until next time,
Nancy
Nancy Whichard, Ph.D., PCC
Your International Dissertation and Academic Career Coach
www.nancywhichard.com
www.dissertationbootcamp.net