Writing Regularly as a Thesis-Completion Strategy

Abstract

After supervising many Ph.D. students, I discovered research on methods that make academics more productive. I invited my students to follow a writing programme designed to overcome tendencies towards procrastination and excessive perfectionism. The programme involves a shift from focusing on content to focusing on the mechanics and thoughts involved in writing. I also discovered that brief, regular contact with students is more effective than longer, less frequent meetings, and that learning to share early drafts of writing helps to overcome debilitating perfectionism. Best of all, the regular-writing approach reduces stress and offers the promise of a smoother transition to post-Ph.D. productivity.