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When we think of fears associated with pursuing academic goals, fear of failure often comes to mind. Yet, another phenomenon, fear of success, can be just as present, formidable, and self-sabotaging as the fear of failure.

Last month we explored the nature of fear of success. This month’s post identifies some of the effects of fear of success. In April, we will identify strategies to mitigate it.

If you have experienced fear of success, please share how this fear has affected you.

We will begin with the assumption that fear of success impedes our ability to succeed. As such, if our ability to succeed is compromised, we are likely to decrease our chances of success and we will fall short of our goals. READ MORE

“Becoming” is a key word for anyone in a doctoral program.  One Becomes a Scholar.  One Becomes a  PhD. 

“Developmental” is a collollary to “Becoming.”

Becoming is a process of seeking a desired state. It requires change and growth.
Developmental is growth, building upon a foundation of knowledge so that one can take the next step. READ MORE

My colleagues and I reach out to our advisees on a regular basis to ask some questions about how they are doing.

We want to make sure that learners who are completing their first quarter in dissertation are communicating with their mentor, are beginning to understand what the dissertation is all about, and are moving forward in the process.

We have also learned that our advisees at every stage of dissertation sometimes struggle to stay motivated — for any number of reasons. One of the questions we will ask our advisees is how they stay motivated. As you can imagine, they are motivated by everything from financial issues to just getting done and seeing Ph.D. behind their names.

One of my advisees shared that he stayed motivated by keeping a gratitude journal. And I thought what a great idea! I know that it is so easy to let yourself go negative during the dissertation process. It seems like one would not have to look too far to find something to complain about.

However, I also think one would not have to look too far to find something to feel good about. It might be that you wrote one really solid paragraph – or a whole page. Perhaps you tracked down that elusive article you have been searching for. Perhaps your mentor, along with suggestions for improvements, also let you know that you are on the right track. Perhaps you just mastered the latest version of Microsoft Word. Along the way to the completion of each milestone, you will surely find many positives. Focus on them.

Throughout my career in consulting and teaching, I have included the subject of procrastination in my various course outlines, syllabi and workshop agendas. Having taught writing, speech and group communication, as well as job search workshops, the topic was always apropos. When have I met individually with clients in the past, the subject frequently came up. At Capella, with milestone deadlines looming, our learners often ask why they procrastinate. Alternatively, as advisors, we sometimes confront learners about their progress on their dissertations and try to determine if procrastination is a significant barrier.

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When we think of fears associated with pursuing academic goals, fear of failure often comes to mind. For example, how many times did you experience fear of failing a course, fear of failing the comprehensive examination, or fear of failing to complete your dissertation? Yet, another phenomenon, fear of success, can be just as present, formidable, and self-sabotaging as the fear of failure.

In the next three months, we will explore fear of success. This post examines the nature of fear of success. Next month’s post will identify some of the effects of fear of success. In April, we will identify strategies to mitigate it. READ MORE

An advisee who felt he had not accomplished anything during his first quarter in dissertation recently sent me an email to complain about it. The advisee told me that he had gotten feedback twice during the quarter from his mentor, and each time the advisee had responded to the feedback by making quick corrections and turning the work around within hours.

Basically my advisee wanted to know, “Is That All There Is?” to the dissertation. (Cue Peggy Lee.)  He did not feel that he had worked very hard. I agreed with him; he had not worked very hard. It appeared that his mentor had done more work so far on the advisee’s dissertation than the advisee had. READ MORE

Here’s what I’ve decided: job searching freaks most people out. Rare is the person who hears terms like “job search,” “resume writing,” or “networking,”  and thinks, “Great! What fun!” Most people conceal this fear and anxiety pretty well, but the it’s there, regardless of how good they are at masking it, ignoring it, or joking about it. 

Why the fear?
Job search anxiety has a lot of sources. For some people, the discomfort is due to a feeling of incompetence – they don’t feel like they know how to effectively search for open positions or write a resume or interview well. Other people are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work involved in executing a job search. They’re afraid they’ll put forth a lot of effort that won’t yield results. Others feel like they don’t have any marketable skills, and worry that a job search will confirm these suspicions. Many people are afraid of failure or rejection, both of which are part of most job searches. Finally, some job seekers feel hopeless in the face of a poor economy, which leads to fears about not being able to provide for themselves or their family. READ MORE

Too often (and once is too often) I see learners who become quite upset over the feedback they receive on their comprehensive exams or their dissertation chapters. Those learners do have a choice: they can choose to ignore the feedback and make the process more difficult, or they can learn from the feedback (even embrace the feedback) and improve their writing skills.

I have told more than one advisee to grow a thicker skin and to change their attitude about the feedback. We can all improve our writing – no matter how well we write. Writing comprehensive exams and dissertations requires everyone to step up their level of writing. Everyone gets feedback on their comps and their dissertation chapters. The question is what do they do with that feedback? Do they acknowledge that the feedback is a fair comment on their writing or do they become defensive and refuse to accept the suggestions offered for improvement? READ MORE

Often, a learner will express frustration with the committee nomination process, which can be daunting for a number of reasons, not the least of which is persistence when one receives rejection after rejection.

One day, it dawned on me that an organized approach might make the task a bit simpler.  Now I tell my advisees to follow this plan when READ MORE

After watching unemployment top 10% in November, many people are more than ready to say good-bye to 2009.  Even if you are part of the 90% who remained employed this year, the ongoing bad news about the economy may have prompted you to spend some time thinking about what you would do if you lost your job, or what you could do to feel more secure in your current position. 

As we head into 2010, now is a perfect time to take action and make some career development resolutions.  To help you to get started, the Career Counselors in Capella’s Career Center suggest giving some thought to the following career development activities.

Nourish your network
Commit to reconnecting with your network of contacts, and to developing new professional relationships.  Make some phone calls, set some lunch dates with former colleagues, and consider doing some informational interviews with experienced professionals in careers of interest to you. Increase your involvement with your professional association. If you’re not a member of any professional associations, determine which associations are most relevant, and join the local chapters. Check the dates of upcoming conferences and workshops for your professional associations and mark them on your calendar.  Volunteer for one of the association’s committees as a way of developing relationships with other members. Consider submitting a presentation proposal.  Presenting at conferences is one way to increase your exposure and establish your expertise in your field.  Use online social networking tools like LinkedIn to build your network and share your expertise with others who may be new to the field.  Join Capella’s LinkedIn user group to connect with thousands of other learners, alumni, staff, and faculty. READ MORE