the encouragement lounge: That thing you don't want to do -- jump right in

Monday, June 8, 2009

That thing you don't want to do -- jump right in

Hi All,

Right now I'm definitively in touch with taking on work that I don't really feel like doing. I received my dissertation from the style editor and now have a number of corrections to make (note to my students.... even I still make APA mistakes, though I've gotten a lot better!). Anyway, so imagine this, after months of hard work, and then defending the dissertation, I'm feeling sort of done. (Friends of mine even sent me a tshirt that says, in big red letters, "DONE"! And then I get this puppy back from the style editor and I have to go back and fix some citations, correct some spacing, etc. It's not a lot, but it's a drag!

This would be such a an easy one with which to procrastinate. Instead, I decided to jump right into the work. I made the first chapter corrections later yesterday, so that when I started the work today, I'd already have some done, I'd have a little momentum. This is a lot less daunting than if I hadn't yet begun the corrections.

So, my tip for the day... when you face work you don't want to do, take on a little chunk and just get yourself moving.

More soon!

Harriet

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Working adult students, on my mind...

I hope this blog will be helpful to friends and others involved in a variety of endeavors. However, I created the blog with students in mind and continue to develop it with that specific group as my focus.

I believe that with the increase in evening, weekend, and low-residency programs, students are working more and more in isolation. If we were all full-time students on campus, we would have the informal support that comes with being able to go down the hall and talk with a colleague, etc. But instead, we are working late nights and weekends at home in front of the laptop.

With that in mind, I hope the encouragement lounge provides brief moments of respite and energizing connection. This does not at all replace valuable face-to-face contact. Many aspects of the academic journey can only be addressed via in-depth conversations with colleagues and teachers. And I would always rather sit down and talk with someone than to communicate online. Nonetheless, my aim is to give you one more channel for quick hits of support.