Ask Doctoral Advising

In running and training for a marathon, there are no quick fixes.  I cannot pay someone to train for me and expect that I will be able to achieve the finish line.  Let me amend that…I may achieve the finish line, but I want to be able to function and enjoy life the afternoon of the event.  If I don’t do the work, my body will be hurting.  And I know I didn’t do my best throughout  my training.  I want to achieve running a marathon and know it was my best.

There are resources (coaches, colleagues, training plans, exercises to develop core)  out there to help me with the components of training. But I have to DO the exercises and the running to achieve the finish line and feel good physically afterwards.

Likewise, when it comes to the dissertation, there are no quick fixes.

In desperation for hints and ideas on how to get through this stage of the program, I bought a book, something catchy like ‘write your dissertation in 15 minutes a day.’ 

Chances are, writing your dissertation is a struggle for you.
And it should be.

Part of the struggle takes you through mucky waters, which leads to clarity. Eventually.
Some caveats…
IF you are willing to follow the path, and
IF you are willing to change directions (or totally turn around and go back) when needed.
The struggle is what makes the content of the dissertation stronger.  And your role in writing it as part of the concept ‘becoming.’
Bottom line: 
You need to do the work. 
The work of thinking of the idea, the question, the angles.
The work of finding the written research.
The work of understanding.  The idea. The integration of the research method and your content. The results.
The work of reflecting, point-counterpoint within self.
The work of dialogue with others to explain and therefore seeking clarity ( or more muckiness)
The work of writing.  and re-writing.  and re-writing. (and a few more versions….)

So, if you are looking for a quick fix, what is it that you think needs fixing? Who can you check in with, to see if your perspective is spot-on or if you are being too hard on yourself?  How do you know you need to make a change in direction or totally turn around and backtrack to some point?
The other bottom line:  you don’t want this process to be a quick fix.  You want the rigor and robustness of a great institution as a foundation for the initials at the end of your name.