Significance
As you think ahead to the semester before you, consider this article . Make sure your work - including your academic work - aligns with...
Help
When you get stuck, ask for some kind of assistance. It doesn't have to be what is described above, but there are people who can help if...
Thoughts
Mind mapping can work. Just come up with a way to get those thoughts organized and then into your dissertation. And don't get upset with...
BALLS.
Duckpin bowling alley. Portland, Maine. A few years ago when I went to visit my nephew, my brother and his family took me Duck Pin...
That Dang Literature Review (post #75)
Start your literature review last semester. Start the reference list for your dissertation before today. Seriously, if you start a list...
Ahead
A road somewhere in Virginia. Earning a doctoral degree is hard. It just is. It should be. Not a lot of people do this thing you are...
Use Your Resources
Some resources light the way better than others. As you navigate your courses and writing, remember that there are resources available to...
Keep Going
We can find inspiration in the stories of others. Here is one for you: Dr. Courtney Cain
Mindfulness
There is a story about a man who goes to a Zen master to learn how to master meditation. He asks, "How long do I have to meditate each...
Doing the work.
"Sometimes you get lucky and your work stalks you like a tiger, and all you have to do is stand there and let it leap on you. Most of the...
Mattering
So many of you are practitioners who plan to stay practitioners rather than moving into faculty roles. With that in mind, I wanted to...
Finishing
We all get run down at times. We need to rest, refuel, and then resume. Once you get to the point that you have finished classwork, it is...
Theoretical Frameworks
As you move forward in your work, you need something to help you along the way. Your theoretical framework is one of those things. There...
Enthusiasm
My nephew Zak a few years ago during a photo shoot I did with him in Portland, Maine. Remember when you were excited to apply for the...
Imposter!
Embrace your imposter phenomenon as a motivator not something that undermines you. Let it inspire you to do things you haven't done...
Writing.
As you get ready for your proposal or dissertation, you will get to explore, struggle through, and successfully complete new writing...
Humor
You gotta laugh. The work you are doing is too hard not to take a moment to enjoy the world around you. And there is plenty to laugh at....
Literature Reviews - Starting the Process
So, chapter 2 is one of the toughest parts of the dissertation proposal. It takes a lot of time and can feel tedious. However, it is...