How Do I Stay on Track?

Abstract

Problems with your research, self-doubt and flagging energy are quite normal; nevertheless, they can be debilitating and can completely derail a postgraduate research student. However, if you anticipate that this can and will happen, you can be better prepared and can mobilise the necessary internal and external resources to deal with the issues before they become too problematic and cause you to stall or completely abandon your studies. This chapter discusses a range of strategies for keeping yourself on track throughout your research journey, including using planning tools and deadlines, dealing with procrastination, avoiding isolation, actively engaging with your supervisor(s), facing problems head on, being persistent, starting to write early and often, being conscious of security, presenting at a conference, checking in with your motivations, evaluating your productivity and rewarding yourself.