21 Day Dissertation Writing Habit ... - Finish Your Thesis
21 Day Dissertation Writing Habit Building ChallengeTable of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u 21 Day Dissertation Writing Habit Building Challenge PAGEREF _Toc41130798 \h 1Day #1: What’s working? PAGEREF _Toc41130799 \h 1Day #2: Let’s start to shave off time PAGEREF _Toc41130800 \h 3Day #3: A ridiculously simple action step PAGEREF _Toc41130801 \h 5Day #4: Let’s take it a hair further PAGEREF _Toc41130802 \h 7Day #5: Important and dangerous part of habit building PAGEREF _Toc41130803 \h 8Day #6: It may sound restricting but it’s liberating PAGEREF _Toc41130804 \h 10Day #7: Our first Mini-Challenge PAGEREF _Toc41130805 \h 12Day #8: Our Members’ favorite motto PAGEREF _Toc41130806 \h 14Day #9: We’re dialing things up a bit PAGEREF _Toc41130807 \h 16Day #10: You and I need to have a talk PAGEREF _Toc41130808 \h 17Day #11: This is for your own good PAGEREF _Toc41130809 \h 19Day #12: This will brighten someone else’s day PAGEREF _Toc41130810 \h 21Day #13: Time to make lasting change PAGEREF _Toc41130811 \h 22Day #14: Mini-challenge #2 PAGEREF _Toc41130812 \h 24Day #15: The 2 mm shift: PAGEREF _Toc41130813 \h 25Day #16: This is so liberating PAGEREF _Toc41130814 \h 27Day #17: This is great when you feel blocked PAGEREF _Toc41130815 \h 28Day #18: When you’d rather scrub bathrooms: PAGEREF _Toc41130816 \h 29Day #19: This is probably holding you back PAGEREF _Toc41130817 \h 31Day #20: This is so powerful PAGEREF _Toc41130818 \h 33Day #21: Finish Strong PAGEREF _Toc41130819 \h 34Day #1: What’s working?Welcome to Day #1 of our new 21 Day Challenge!Unlike our 21 Day challenge in January, which was meant to push and challenge you, this challenge is meant to help you to build new habits for our new way of life.Of course, it's difficult to stay how long this way of life will last...in fact for some of our members their way of life has not changed that much.But, one thing is for sure: if you're in the Dissertation Writing Workshop you want to make more progress, and most likely build new habits.So, whether you had to adapt to a new way of life, or still doing the "same old", you want to get better results. The way to get better results is to take different actions. But, which actions should you take and how do you make sure you remember to take them?Some people are very quick to take on a "new lifestyle" and then feel disappointed when they are not able to keep up. Or, they implement the new habits but don't get great results.In this 21 Day Challenge we will?gradually?build new habits. Your new habits will be sustainable, and they will work for you.On some days this Challenge will feel too easy. But, is that really a problem? Not everyone thinks that you have to work harder to get better results.If you heard my story from graduate school, you know that I got more done when I had to cut down on my work hours after getting injured from computer overuse.When I think back to those scary days after my diagnosis, I remember feeling disappointed in myself that I didn't get enough work done each day.But one question that turned things around was:"What is working?"What am I doing right? What are some habits that I would like to keep?For example, I had a relatively good sleep schedule. I was also very consistent about walking during my lunch hour (which led to great insights on my Dissertation!).Today's acton step:a)What is working? What is one habit that you already have that you would like to keep?No habit is too simple!Given the quarantine conditions, I have heard stories about not showering or shaving, wearing the same clothes for days, and living on...(insert your favorite junk food).b) Did you identify that habit? Good! Now put it in your calendar as a repeating event every day for this month.Awesome! You just took the first step towards building more structure and making room for new habits as well!In the coming days we will build more on the habits that are already working and creating new habits that will get you desired results.See you on Day 2!Day #2: Let’s start to shave off timeWelcome to Day #2 of our new 21 Day Challenge!On Day #1 we discussed the importance of identifying a habit that is already working for you.Your action step was to figure out a good habit that you would like to keep and to put that into your calendar as a repeating event (for example: bed time, meal times, showering etc.)Did you take the action step? If so, congrats! If not, please take a moment to do it (I will not go anywhere, I promise.)Okay!As you may remember from Day #1, in this Challenge we are building new habits gradually. Think of it like a flow over a 21 Day period, where you go from a version of your day that's "meh" to a version of your day that's "rockin'". Seriously.On Day #2, we will open up some time to create space for new habits.My father, who is an entrepreneur, taught me that great results come from small "time-fragments". As the CEO of a company with hundreds of employees, he didn't have many free hours at a time. So, he had to make use of the 5-10 min blocks of time he had here and there for catching up on reading or to make an important phone calls.Depending on your situation, you may not have the challenge of "not enough time." But, when you spend 5-10 min here and there on news etc. the results are equally detrimental: you used up your precious mental energy on something that will not get you closer to a result you really want. In fact, it will probably get you farther from it.On Day #2 we will start to "shave off" some of the time-wasters.Today's action step:a) Think of something you do that is wasting your time and energy. Many of our Members have mentioned the news in this category.Now, think of a way to do it a little bit less. Or, if it's easier, perhaps you can eliminate it altogether.Example: I used to check the news while eating breakfast. Just 10 min right? First, it usually ended up being more than 10 minutes. Second, no wonder I couldn't focus on work after reading so many scary stories!I began "shaving off" some reading time from the news by gradually delaying when I checked it. As I gradually delayed when I checked the news, eventually I had to start work. So, I now start my day without checking the news (n fact, I may have even skipped a whole day without looking at the news one. Whoa!). This makes it possible for me to write this Challenge for you!b) What can you do to replace that activity? We will come back to this idea of "replacement" soon. For now, keep it simple: enjoy your coffee a little longer, wipe off the counters, or take a nap. Pick something that is "neutral".Well done! You have started to open up space to build in habits that will really move you forward.On Day #3 will continue to take steps towards creating an awesome day!See you on Day 3!Day #3: A ridiculously simple action stepWelcome to Day #3 of our new 21 Day Challenge!So far, we have discussed the importance of identifying 1) what is working and 2) "shaving" time off a time-wasterToday, we will take the first step towards building a new habit that will be meaningful for you.If I asked each of our Members to describe that is the #1 change they would like to see in their lives right now, I would get a lot of different answers. Maybe I would get different answers from the same person if I asked on different days!It's possible that you would like to see different kinds of change in your life, and not even sure where to start. But, when you make a positive change in one area of your life, it will lead to positive changes in the other areas of your life.For example, one of our Members, Sean, wanted to work fewer hours so he could be healthier. By delaying email and restructuring his day, he was able to get an extra 1-2 hours of sleep a night! This in turn led to him being able to spend more time with his girlfriend too and improve that relationship.Unfortunately, the same is true about negative change. In the past, when Sean had to work 100 hour/week (no exaggeration), his health and personal relationships both deteriorated.This is why it is so important to build habits gradually: you have to keep the positive and negative changes in check at the same time.Today's action step:a) Think of the #1 change you would like to see in your life right now. Keep in mind that when you improve that area, other areas of your life will improve too. (Hint: an area of health, such as sleep schedule or exercise are popular choices)b) Pick one ridiculously simple change you can make in the right direction to improve that area of your life.Example: When Sean wanted to cut down on the hours he worked, he gradually started delaying when he checked his email. He began by delaying checking his email by 15 minutes. Instead, he worked on a high priority project in the morning during that time. Eventually, he delayed his email by a few hours, which allowed him to get his work done early in the day, and he was able to go to sleep earlier too.c) Put that simple change in your calendar for?todayExample: At first Sean wasn't sure what he would do instead of checking his email. His highest priority project was to write code for a simulation. So, in his calendar he wrote "15 min coding work" starting at 7 am. (He was an early bird. You might start at 8, or 9, or perhaps 6 am. The point is, put in your calendar what action you will take and when)Got it? OK. Grab your favorite drink and be sure to re-read Days #1 and #2 so you keep the habits that are working for you, and reduce the time-wasters as you go through the day.See you on Day #4!Day #4: Let’s take it a hair furtherWelcome to Day #4 of our new 21 Day Challenge!So far, we have discussed the importance of identifying 1) what is working 2) "shaving" time off a time-waster and 3) starting to take "ridiculously simple" actions towards a bigger goal.On Day #4 we will go into more detail with the "ridiculously simple" actions steps, because that is going to be the basis of creating new habits.Starting to create very very simple habits has multiple benefits. First, you are creating new pathways for a habit that is for your highest good.For example, if you are delaying email by some time so you can have quality time to work, it has a series of benefits:Your quality of work will improve, which will contribute to your field of researchYou might finish your Dissertation sooner (or on time) and move onto new opportunitiesYou might finish your work for the day sooner and get to bed sooner (See Sean's story from previous day)And most importantly, you will feel great for starting your day by getting some quality work done. When you feel great, all areas of your life improve (you see what I mean by having a "rockin'" day, by the end of this Challenge?)It doesn't matter what you chose to be the ridiculously simple change. Whether you go to sleep earlier, eat better, take a brisk walk, or schedule a brief writing session,?you will feel great when you follow through.On Day #4 we will expand on the ridiculously simple action step.Today's action step:a) Whichever action you chose, take it just a "hair" further.Did you schedule a 15 min writing sprint? Expand it to 20 minutes. Did you commit to going to sleep by 11 pm? Commit to being in bed by 10:45. (From experience, you probably need to plan on being in bed by 10:30 if you want to actually be in bed by 10:45).b) Fun part: Share with someone the progress you are making, to really hammer it in that you are going in the right direction. Post it on our Facebook group. Tell your partner, child, parent, or a friend."Who will care that I wrote for 15 minutes?" you might ask. First of all, our Facebook community does! Second, if you share it with someone else, you can say "I feel really good about the writing I did today." (If they question your progress, if they are judgmental, they are not the right person to share this with. There are people who will be happy for your progress)Great work! See you on Day #5!Day #5: Important and dangerous part of habit buildingWelcome to Day #5 of our new 21 Day Challenge!So far, we have discussed the importance of identifying 1) what is working 2) "shaving" time off a time-waster 3) starting to take "ridiculously simple" actions towards a bigger goal and 4) taking the actions a "hair" further and sharing your progress with someone who will celebrate with you.Did you skip any days so far? If you did, just go back to the last email, take notes, and I will meet you right back here!Today we will talk about a very important (and possibly dangerous) part of habit building. No worries, no bungee-jumping or anything like that.We will discuss "rewards." How do you reward yourself for creating a new habit? Do you even need to reward yourself?Rewarding yourself is important for a few reasons. First, positive rewards help you to associate an action with something positive (e.g. some of our Members smell their morning coffee and immediately sit down to write).Second, a reward that makes you feel good will reinforce the good habit. (example: a new special blend of morning coffee to go along with your writing)Unfortunately, rewards can be counter-productive, even dangerous. If you reward yourself with a red velvet cheesecake, you won't feel good! Or, if you reward yourself by reading a novel, you might never get to sleep that night.On Day #5 we will think about how you can reward yourself. My suggestion is to keep it simple. You will notice that after a while, taking the right actions will be their own reward!Today's action stepa) Make a list of all the rewards that are feasible for you on a daily or weekly basis.Examples: chocolate, walking, watching a movie, reading a book, sleeping inb) Pick 2 rewards that are fun, but not dangerousFor me, one example would be dark chocolate. If the sugar concentration is too high, however, I might eat too much. So, to keep it fun without the sugar load, I would pick a brand that is tasty, but that I cannot eat too much of.Another example would be watching a show. I know some shows are addictive (I will not give examples here for obvious reasons). So, the show that I would pick would be something that I enjoy, but that I know I can turn off after 1-2 episodes.c) Pick one of these rewards and make it happen today!(I got my favorite dark chocolate ready as a snack:)Got your reward? Awesome.Remember, this 21 Day Challenge is meant to create sustainable new habits. It might feel easy on some days, but the changes you are making will be long-lasting.See you on Day #6!Day #6: It may sound restricting but it’s liberatingWelcome to Day #6 of our new 21 Day Challenge!So far, we have discussed the importance of identifying 1) what is working 2) "shaving" time off a time-waster 3) starting to take "ridiculously simple" actions towards a bigger goal 4) taking the actions a "hair" further and sharing your progress with someone who will celebrate with you and 5) rewarding yourself!Did you skip any days so far? If you did, just go back to the last email, take notes, and I will meet you right back here!Today we will talk about a concept that might feel constricting, but it leads to incredible freedom.Think Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Tony Robbins...What do they have in common besides being successful? A lot of things, but one notable thing is that they wear (or wore) the same type of clothes every day.Why is this important?I have talked with many successful professors, industry professionals, and authors, and they all have at least one area in their life where they?eliminate choice.I know this sounds restricting, but hear me out.These successful people have made decisions in advance about one or more of the following areas: a) what they wear, b) what they eat (or don't eat), c) daily schedule, d) which days they have meetings or e) exercise schedule.Let's take a simple example: what you eat for breakfast.Two of my friends are married and have very different approaches to breakfast. The husband, ?Jarred, eats something different for breakfast every day. He likes the variety and looks forward to deciding what to eat for breakfast each day.His wife, Diana, eats the same thing (or variation) for breakfast each day. She needs food as soon as she wakes up, so to get the day started as easily as possible, she has eliminated her choice for breakfast.But you know what is interesting?Jarred wakes up and works for 30 min-1 hour before he eats breakfast (even on weekends).So,?Jarred has eliminated the choice of what he will do immediately upon waking.Diana needs food in her system in order to focus on work, so she?eliminated the choice of what she eats for breakfast.By eliminating choice, these two people have made it easier for themselves to start their days well.Today's action step:a) pick an area where you have almost eliminated choice already. Maybe you wear the same types of clothes every day. Or, you have a favorite brand of coffee you drink every day. Or, a certain food group that you don't eat.b) make a conscious decision to keep this habit moving forward and make your plans accordingly.For example, I drink green tea for breakfast every morning. I have eliminated choice in terms of what I drink with my breakfast. This makes many decisions easier! When I create my daily schedule, I know the first item will always be "drink green tea". This anchors me for the day and it's a very liberating feeling.c) be sure to reward yourself today! (Check out Day #5 for reference!)Although the individual action steps have been simple, we have already done a lot: reinforced good habits, reduced time on unproductive habits, and started to take beneficial actions. Rewards will help your brain to associate a beneficial habit with a good feeling, so be sure to pick some fun rewards. Rewards are an area, where you don't want to eliminate choice!See you on Day #7!Cheers,DoraDay #7: Our first Mini-ChallengeWelcome to Day #7 of our new 21 Day Challenge!So far, we have discussed the importance of identifying 1) what is working 2) "shaving" time off a time-waster 3) starting to take "ridiculously simple" actions towards a bigger goal 4) taking the actions a "hair" further and sharing your progress with someone who will celebrate with you 5) rewarding yourself and 6) eliminating choice to simplify your life.Did you skip any days so far? If you did, just go back to the last email, take notes, and I will meet you right back here!Today, we will wrap up Week #1 by doing a mini-challenge.Perhaps you were able to follow along the whole week, did a few days, or are just tuning in right now. Even if you weren't able to be consistent, I still want you to do this mini-challenge.The purpose of the mini-challenge is to push your comfort zone just a little bit. Back in graduate school I was working on the introduction to my literature review. It just so happened that I gained an 3 hours in my day when I wasn't able to run an experiment due to a missing reagent.What could I do with my extra time? Maybe I can get a head-start on the intro to my lit review? The scope of the writing was such that I would have normally devoted a whole day on a weekend to it. But now, I was hoping I could get a head-start on it during 3 hours. You know what? I finished the intro during that extra block of unexpected time! It was a great feeling, and it carried into the rest of my day.On Day #7, our first mini-challenge,? I would like you to push the limits of what you think you can do just a bit.Today's action step:a) Think of something that you were going to work on today. It can be a Dissertation-related project, work project, or personal project.b) Complete the sentence as it relates to this project: "Wouldn't it be cool if I could (fill in the blank) today"What would be really cool today? Write 3 pages? Submit something to your supervisor? Finally declutter your office?Whatever it is, we're going for that feeling of being proud that you pushed yourself just a tiny bit.c) Schedule the time in your calendar to do this cool thing today.*What if you don't complete this today?* Maybe you didn't have time, or the project was too big. The important thing is that you pushed yourself a bit, going for the feeling of being proud.It's easy to get into the "same old" every day. When you push yourself just a bit, it mixes things up!Great job completing Week #1!Tomorrow, on Day #8 we will start the second week of this 21 Day Challenge.See you then!Day #8: Our Members’ favorite mottoWelcome to Week #2 of our new 21 Day Challenge!In Week #1 we started the process of building new habits by reinforcing good habits you already have, eliminating time-wasters, and selecting rewards that keep you motivated.Did you skip any days so far? If you did, just go back to the last email, take notes, and I will meet you right back here!Think of Week #1 as the Beginner's guide to starting to create a new daily routine. Week #2 will be Intermediate.You may have noticed that we haven't made any abrupt changes, only small tweaks in your routine. The reason is that we are building a sustainable daily routine, and you need to make small tweaks along the way. If you try to change anything too abruptly, you will fall back into old habits as your body tries to adjust. We definitely don't want to go backwards here!This brings me to the theme of Day #8, which is the all-time favorite motto in my programs: "Every Day is a Fresh Start"It's impossible to do a good job on anything when you're feeling guilty for not getting enough done. "Where did last week go?" "Why am I still stuck on the same thing?"Today we will bring an end to this type of unproductive dialogue.Do you remember the excitement of starting a new project? Something new to look forward to, and no remorse for having a backlogs of catching up to do.Obviously, you cannot start a new project every morning (although some of our Members feel like they do!)But, you can do something to give yourself the feeling of a fresh start. This "something" is different for everyone. For some people, a fresh start to the day begins with making their beds. For others it is a clean desk. Maybe you like waking up to a kitchen where all the dishes are put away (or all of the above).Whichever it is for you, it has to be something that makes you feel like it is a fresh day, and there are no reminders of undone things from yesterday.Today's action step:a) Pick one thing that comes to mind when you think "Every Day is a Fresh Start".b) Schedule time today to make that happen, so tomorrow you can have a fresh startExample: For me, a "fresh start" means a clean desk, meaning nothing on my table besides my computer and a clean pad of paper.? I made it my habit to clear off my desk at the end of every day, and it makes a huge difference! At first, I had to spend some time on the cleanup, but the daily "touch-ups" are just a few minutes now.If you have time now, take action b) above as soon as you finish reading this email. There are few things that drag you down as much as guilt. So, give yourself the feeling of a "Fresh Start" today.See you on Day #9!Day #9: We’re dialing things up a bitWelcome to Day #9 of our new 21 Day Challenge!On Day #8 we discussed our favorite motto "Every Day is a Fresh Start." Now that we created some headspace for you, we can reinforce good habits more and continue to build your new daily routine.On Day #3 your action step was to take a "ridiculously small" action towards a goal.Today, you will dial this up a bit by thinking about what action will make a significant impact on your progress.One of our Members, Michelle, felt so burnt out from writing her Dissertation, that she had no energy to start writing a publication. She used pure grit to pull herself out of bed every morning to work on her publication for 20 minutes a day. After a painful week she finally got into the habit, and even enjoyed writing her publication on some days.She submitted her publication and it was rejected from the first journal. The second journal accepted it, pending major revisions. By that time, Michelle had multiple projects "cooking" as well as an active job search.With so many things demanding her attention, Michelle had to change her strategy. Twenty minutes of writing in the morning would only be worth her time if it made an impact on one of her projects.Whether you have one project to work on or five, the quality of your work will be much better when you feel like you're making an impact on your progress. By "impact" I mean that your progress is measurable, and it moves your project forward.Today's action step:a) Look through your to-do list for today.b) Pick the "to-do" that will make the biggest difference, and schedule it in your calendar for today.For example, when Michelle looked at her to-do list, she realized that some of it was busy work, and some of it could wait. With the journal waiting for the resubmission (as well as other people expecting projects from her), Michelle had to prioritize her time very well. In the end, if it was a priority, she had to put it into her calendar.I know we're dialing things up just a bit!If you notice any internal dialogue such as "I can't do this" or "This never works for me", simplify the action step. It is always better to make some progress and not finish something, than to not start it at all. We all know that starting is the hardest part. So, if you get started on something you're way ahead of the game.See you on Day #10!Cheers,DoraDay #10: You and I need to have a talkWelcome to Day #10 of our new 21 Day Challenge!On Day #8 we discussed our favorite motto "Every Day is a Fresh Start" and on Day #9 we started to dial up the actions you took towards your goal.Did you skip any days? If so, read the email from yesterday, take notes, and meet me back here.Today, you and I need to have "the talk". Yep, it's about time.Just kidding...sort of. When I said "it's about time" I wasn't kidding.You and I need to talk?about your calendar.?How you use it to manage your time, and how you don't use it.?(Ok, I can get carried away with play on words, just for fun)I have never met a successful graduate student (or successful person in general), who didn't use some type of rigorous time management system.In the case of graduate students, I have met some who only needed to use a time management system in their final few months of Dissertation writing. Having said that, they all wished they had been better about managing their calendar?sooner.The interesting thing about using your calendar is that it's an ongoing process. People who use their calendars well and get new opportunities as a result, have to manage their calendars even better to keep up.It can feel like a never-ending race against time, but here is the thing: the better you use your calendar, the better you manage your time, and the better you?feel.Imagine how much better you would feel if you could get everything done that you needed to, and you still had time to exercise, get enough sleep, and make a healthy meal? (some people are there!)Remember Michelle from day #9? She had so many to-do's that she had to schedule anything that was important in her calendar or it wouldn't get done. Perhaps you do not need this level of time-management, but the more you put in your calendar, the more "in control of your time" you will feel.Today's action step:a) Look through your to-do list for today.b) Block out time for major activities on your calendar for today.For example, block out time for your meals, your work, your exercise, and your sleep time. Sounds silly? According our Members, a common reason for lack of sleep is lack of planning. Everyone who starts blocking time out in the calendar gets more clarity about their day.c) Extra credit: For the activities that you do every day, make them repeating. For example: you can make your sleep time a repeating event (hopefully!). I also recommend making at least one other activity repeating, such as your exercise and/or meal preparation.Great start to taking back control of your time!See you on Day #11!Day #11: This is for your own goodWelcome to Day #11 of our new 21 Day Challenge!Did you skip any days? If so, read the email from yesterday, take notes, and meet me back here.On Day #10 we had the "talk" about using your calendar to manage your time. This may sound like simple concept, but its implications are far-reaching.On Day #11 we will focus on deadlines.Gulp! Deadlines are one of those things that no one likes, but they are good for you.Some of our Members have said "Deadlines are only real if they are from someone else."Fair enough. But, you know why? Partially because you get feedback from that other person, even if it's just acknowledgment of receipt.So, how do we set "deadlines" when you are working mostly on your own?Today we will return to a concept from our previous 21 day Challenge called "giving each time-block a job."The essence of that concept is that each block of time needs to have a purpose. For example, you may have written in your calendar: "Work on Figure 1" from 1-2pm.That's a bit vague, right? What if you wrote "Finish Figure 1" from 1-2 pm? That sounds a bit more purposeful, right?You can think about it like a mini-deadline. It has the advantage of a deadline (a drive to finish something by a certain time-point), without the pressure of finishing?something big.Today's action step:a) Look at your list of to-do's and pick one project that has an external deadline coming up.b) Set one "mini-deadline" for yourself for today related to that project, and include time of day.For example: ?Instead of "Write 2 pages today", set your deadline as "Finish 2 pages by 7pm today"c) Block out time in your calendar with smaller deadlines as neededFor example:"Finish 1 page 1-2pm" and " Finish second page 3-4pm"When you start setting "mini-deadlines" regularly, meeting the big deadlines will feel like a natural progression, and you are much more likely to meet them.See you on Day #12!Day #12: This will brighten someone else’s dayWelcome to Day #12 of our new 21 Day Challenge!Did you skip any days? If so, read the email from yesterday, take notes, and meet me back here.On Day #10 we had the "talk" about using your calendar to manage your time. On Day #11 we focused on creating "mini-deadlines", as a way of giving your time more purpose.On Day #12 we will bring back human connection through accountability.If you're isolated when you're working, it's easy to lose track of time. We addressed this by putting some structure back into your calendar on Days 11 and 12.But, another danger of working in isolation is that you might spend too much time in your head. A tiny disappointment for sleeping in late might snowball into a huge guilt trip by the end of the day.You can prevent negative self-talk by checking in with someone who supports you regularly.The nice thing about this step is that its benefits are far reaching beyond your Dissertation work. It's good for your health to connect with another human being. And, it's also good for the other person that they have a chance to connect with you.Today's action step:a)?Click here to fill out your weekly goal in the Daily Progress Tracker.?If you haven't kept up with it, keep it simple. Just write down in Column B a weekly goal that is realistic for you, and then one action at the end of the day in the corresponding columnsb) Pick one of the following ways of making a new human connection:-Post an update on our Facebook community-Call a friend or family member you usually don't talk to. Depending on your relationship, you may not be able to talk in detail about your Dissertation work. But, at least give a very brief summary of the Dissertation work that you have been doing. Remember, the point is to get out of your head!-Click here to schedule a 15 min checkin with meWhat I like most about this action step is that by reaching out to another human being, you are also contributing to their day. Well done!See you on Day #13!Day #13: Time to make lasting changeWelcome to Day #13 of our new 21 Day Challenge!Did you skip any days? If so, read the email from yesterday, take notes, and meet me back here.On Day #10 we had the "talk" about using your calendar to manage your time. On Day #11 we focused on creating "mini-deadlines", as a way of giving your time more purpose.On Day #12 we brought back human connection through accountability.On Day #13 we will revisit a danger zone: time-wasters.Back on Day #2 we talked about "shaving" off 5-10 min here and there from activities that waste time and do nothing for you.Today, we will examine time-wasters further to really make some lasting changes in your life.Remember Sean from Week #1? By delaying email every morning (until noon!) he was able to turn a 100 hr work week into a 70 hour work week. Not bad!While he started to make positive changes by delaying email by 15 min, that small change couldn't have led to an extra 30 hours a week. Instead, Sean made a deliberate decision to have focused work in the mornings, and only let email in his awareness at noon.The decision was simple, but implementing it took some practice. Even so, occasionally he slipped back into the habit of answering emails in the morning (and then paid for it by having to work late).Instead of incrementally changing the email delay, Sean decided to block off the entire morning for focused work.A similar change was made by another Member, Ellie. Instead of incrementally fighting distractions at home, she blocked off the same hours every afternoon to get some focused work.A final example is from Caroline: a few weeks before her Dissertation deadline, Caroline set an auto-responder in her personal email. She let all her friends know that she was checking her personal email just once a week. Imagine how much time you could save if you checked your personal email for just 1 hour once a week!Now it's your turn.Today's action step:a) Identify the biggest time-waster for you (hint: news or social media are popular choices)b) What change can you make to absolutely minimize the time wasted on this?For example: If you check the news too much, can you set a boundary that will prevent you from over-checking it?Right before lunch for 10 minutes is a popular choice for a quick news check. Usually people are too hungry to check it for long. Also, it's late enough in the day to give you time to work, but early enough so the scary stories will not keep you up at night!c) Take the necessary actions, such as updating your calendar, to make this new change "official".When you eliminate a major time and energy waster, you open up space for new habits that will really propel you forward.We will wrap up our second week with another challenge tomorrow.See you on Day #14!Day #14: Mini-challenge #2Welcome to Day #14 of our new 21 Day Challenge!Did you skip any days? If so, read the email from yesterday, take notes, and meet me back here.On Day #10 we had the "talk" about using your calendar to manage your time. On Day #11 we focused on creating "mini-deadlines", as a way of giving your time more purpose.On Day #12 we brought back human connection through accountability, and on Day #13 we talked about making a decision to eliminate time-wasters.With these new tools and habits, you are now ready for mini-Challenge #2: "Create a routine for your ideal day"Today's action steps:a) Go back over the emails from the past 13 days, and review the action steps. If you skipped any action steps, list the ones that would make the biggest difference for you.b) Based on previous days' lessons create a schedule of your ideal day. If you notice any resistance, remember that you are just creating a routine right now. You can modify it any time you want.? Also, having structure creates freedom - anyone who ever experienced "too much time" knows how frustrating that can be.c) Schedule time in your calendar for activities tomorrow based on the schedule you just created.No worries, I know that it may be scary if you can't follow through. The purpose is not to do this perfectly, but to get into the habit of having a routine.Does this mean each day will be the same? Of course not.Today, on Day #14, you are just creating the routine in your calendar for tomorrow.Tomorrow, Day #15, will be the first day of this new schedule.I will check in with you then!Day #15: The 2 mm shift:Welcome to Day #15 of our new 21 Day Challenge!Did you skip any days? If so, read the email from yesterday, take notes, and meet me back here.Week #2 was all about managing your time more intentionally by using your calendar, setting deadlines, and incorporating accountability. The human connection is especially important during this isolating time!On Day #14 your mini-Challenge was to create a routine for your ideal day.If you're like most people, you probably encountered resistance:-What's the point of designing an ideal day if it will never happen like that?-I am not good at following through-I always get side-tracked, etc. etc.Today on Day #15 we will introduce the concept of a 2 millimeter shift.The term "2 millimeter shift" comes from plastic surgeons. (You probably weren't expecting that right?)When you're a plastic surgeon, shifting your cut by just 2 millimeters, can make the difference between your patient loving the results, or hating it!But, the 2 millimeter shift is also applicable in other areas of life. A slight change in your daily schedule can make a huge difference in the course of a few weeks.Today's action steps:a) Go back to the ideal daily routine you designed on Day #14. Today, on Day #15, your action step is to do you best to implement that daily routine.Here is the kicker....b) When you run into resistance (because you will), think of "2 millimeter" shift that you can take to achieve that result.For example: Let's say your ideal day includes working out from 6-7 am. Now it's 6 am and you don't even have workout clothes on yet!What if you "shifted" just a tiny bit? For example, what if you selected a 20 min workout from a phone app? It's not the same as a full hour of working out, but, a slight shift in your thinking helps you to still get a workout in and keep on schedule.Make a note of the 2 millimeter shifts you are taking during the day. They really do add up to amazing results!See you on Day #16!Cheers,Dorap.s. Any questions? Please hit reply and send me any questions and I will answer them anonymously at the next training. I am just an email away :)Day #16: This is so liberatingWelcome to Day #16 of our new 21 Day Challenge!Did you skip any days? If so, read the email from yesterday, take notes, and meet me back here.On Day #14 your mini-Challenge was to create a routine for your ideal day, and on Day #15 we discussed the 2 millimeter shift that can help you to stay on track with your ideal day.When I ask students, "What gets in the way of following through" a very common answer is?distractions.Today on Day #16 we will revisit the concept of setting boundaries.It is impossible to follow through on a schedule if you don't have clear boundaries.If your ideal day includes an hour of writing in the evening, you need to set boundaries in case other people "need you" at that time.Equally important: you need to set boundaries with yourself. If you decide that you want to write from 8 - 9pm in the evening, be sure to turn off your phone/email etc!Today's action steps:a) Go back to the ideal daily routine you designed on Day #14. What are some boundaries you need to set for 1) other people and 2) yourself?b) Now set at least one boundary that applies to other people (eg. I am writing between 8-9 pm and not available)c) Set a boundary that applies to you (eg What kind of boundary do you need to set for yourself so that you can follow through on your writing time?)During the monthly checkin calls, "setting boundaries" is one of the favorite take-aways for our Members. Boundaries are extraordinarily liberating!See you on Day #17!Day #17: This is great when you feel blockedWelcome to Day #17 of our new 21 Day Challenge!Did you skip any days? If so, read the email from yesterday, take notes, and meet me back here.On Day #14 your mini-Challenge was to create a routine for your ideal day, on Day #15 we discussed the 2 millimeter shift that can help you to stay on track with your ideal day, and on Day #16 we discussed the importance of setting boundaries. (very important!)Today on Day #17 we will talk about a favorite mantra to keep your momentum!I was talking with one of our Members, Joyce, a few days ago.She wrote her Dissertation in a start and stop manner (don't we all?). She liked the idea of mantras, but the popular ones like "I WILL finish this Dissertation" or "I am not a quitter" didn't resonate with her.Joyce has a full-time job, and when she gets home at night writing her Dissertation is the last thing she wants to do!Finally, there was one mantra that she liked: "I can go from A to B today."It sounds so doable, right?No matter what, she knew she could just do that one small piece today. When you're feeling blocked or tired, this is one mantra that can keep you going, at least a little bit.Today's action steps:a) Define what is "going from A to B" mean for you today. What is one small action that you can take?For example, it might be writing one page. Or, incorporating some revisions. Keep it simple!b) Write down that action in your calendar for a specific time blockc) When it comes time to do that action step and you feel resistance to doing it, tell yourself: "I can go from A to B today." Then, breathe.That's it!In this last week of our challenge we are focusing on keeping your momentum and continuing to utilize your calendar to make the most out of the time you have!See you on Day #18!Day #18: When you’d rather scrub bathrooms:Welcome to Day #18 of our new 21 Day Challenge!Did you skip any days? If so, read the email from yesterday, take notes, and meet me back here.On Day #14 your mini-Challenge was to create a routine for your ideal day, on Day #15 we discussed the 2 millimeter shift that can help you to stay on track with your ideal day, on Day #16 we discussed the importance of setting boundaries (very important!), and on Day #17 we reviewed the mantra "I can go from A to B today" .As you probably have guessed by now, this final week of the challenge is all about helping you to?maintain effective habits.Even when you're making good progress, it's just too easy to sit back, relax, and fall into those negative habits. Then, before you know it, you skipped several days of writing and cannot get your writing mojo back!Today on Day #18 we will talk about a the "follow-through-train", a concept to help you resist falling back into old patterns.I heard about the "follow-through -train" from author Peter Voogd, and when I introduced this concept to my PhD students over 5 years ago, it was a hit!According to Voogd, 95% of people take action when the?feel?like it. Then, they feel good that they took action. However, if they don't feel like taking action the next day, they don't actually take action, and then they feel guilty. That's a negative cycle we're all familiar with.??Here is a schematic:95% of people:I feel like it -> I take action -> I feel goodI don't feel like it -> I don't take action -> I don't feel goodHowever, 5% of the population (the successful people), take action?no matter?how they feel.? They know that they will feel good because they take action, so they keep taking action and they keep feeling good. That's what we all want.Here is how it works:5% of people (the successful ones):Decision?to take action -> I take action?no matter how I feel?-> I feel good because I took actionDo you see the difference?95% of people rely on how they feel. (We all know how well that works!). The other 5% recognize that feeling good?will come from taking action.This is so powerful that I think you should print this email out, and post it where you can see it everyday!Today's action steps:a) Make a?decision?when it comes to your writing. Keep it simple and doable for now.? For example: "I will write from 8 to 8:30 am every day Mon-Fri"b) Block it out on your calendar. Make it a repeating event.This action step might sound very similar to previous ones. But the key difference is how you approach it. When it's 8 am tomorrow and you don't feel like writing (you'd rather scrub your neighbor's bathrooms), you will know that?you will feel good as a result of following -through.That is why it is called a follow-though train. It trains you to keep following through.See you on Day #19!Day #19: This is probably holding you backWelcome to Day #19 of our new 21 Day Challenge!Did you skip any days? If so, read the email from yesterday, take notes, and meet me back here.On Day #14 your mini-Challenge was to create a routine for your ideal day, on Day #15 we discussed the 2 millimeter shift that can help you to stay on track with your ideal day, on Day #16 we discussed the importance of setting boundaries (very important!), on Day #17 we reviewed the mantra "I can go from A to B today", and on Day #18 we discussed the famous "follow-through train".Today on Day #19 we will examine self-doubts around the belief "I am not a good writer".I had plenty of these beliefs myself. I am a non-native English speaker (I am from Hungary), and I am a science/engineering major. Plus, good writing comes from practice, which is the last thing I could do when my injury prevented me from typing!Nonetheless, I submitted a draft of my embarrassing literature review (my first publication) to my thesis supervisor. I worked on it for 6 months, wasn't proud of it, and felt burnt out.During our next meeting, I thought that I had hearing issues when he told me: "Dora, I didn't know you were such a good writer!"Here I was, with a life-long belief that I am not a good writer, and a distinguished professor was impressed by my writing. This show that your belief that you are not a good writer is just that: a?belief. Nothing more.Since I started this program, many of our Members got impressive feedback from their Dissertation supervisors after finally handing in something.Of course, what you hand it has to meet certain requirements: page length, it has to flow, and it has to cover your topic.Today's action steps:a) Make a?commitment?of when you will hand in your next draft. Whether it is your full Dissertation, a chapter, section, or proposal, commit to letting it go by a certain date. Don't worry about whether it will be "good enough", just select a date that is realistic.b) Put this date in your calendar and be specific with the time of day.For example: "May 29th at 5pm: submit Chapter 2 to supervisor"As I said, these action steps are simple. However, with each action step you are moving closer to being the kind of person who uses their time intentionally, makes progress towards their goals, and lets go of negative beliefs.The power of these action steps are in their simplicity.See you on Day #20!Day #20: This is so powerfulWelcome to Day #20 of our new 21 Day Challenge!Did you skip any days? If so, read the email from yesterday, take notes, and meet me back here.On Day #16 we discussed the importance of setting boundaries (very important!), on Day #17 we reviewed the mantra "I can go from A to B today", on Day #18 we discussed the famous "follow-through train", and on Day #19 we examined the belief "I am not a good writer."Today on Day #20 we are in the home-stretch and we will add even more accountability! (read through, there is a twist)By nature, I am a shy person. But, when it came to accountability for my Dissertation, I knew I needed it. I was fortunate to have Mary. Due to my injury, I worked in a computer facility for students with disabilities, and Mary was the Director. Although not a scientist, or a PhD student, she was "hands-on" helping me with different equipment to make typing easier. Hence, it was really convenient to give her an update every day.Without some form of accountability, you will spend your day in your head. You will feel like you are working, but didn't get much done. Or, you will feel like you are not getting anything done, yet you are making progress.Either way, without external accountability, you don't have perspective about how far along you are.Today's action steps:a) Find an accountability partner.?If you don't have one yet (or don't know where to find one), please post in our Facebook group.I understand if you feel shy, or if you want to dismiss this step, but please find a person! Your accountability partner can also be a friend or sibling or child if they are adults. (Spouses/romantic partners aren't always best for accountability partners)b) Once you decide who your accountability partner is, commit to a time of day for daily updates.For example: "Every day at 7pm I will write you an email with an update"c) Here is the twist:?Commit to writing this update, even if you got nothing done.For example, an update on a particularly tough day could be: "I attempted to work on Chapter 2, but I just didn't get around to it"No judgments. No comments. Only the facts.Let me repeat this: Send an update to an accountability partner daily, with just the facts. Just a one sentence highlight of what you did. Nothing or good or bad.When you are able to summarize to someone else what you did without judgement, you will gradually lift away the Writer's Block that has been holding you back.This is very powerful, and we will wrap it up strong on Day #21!Day #21: Finish StrongWelcome to the final day our new 21 Day Challenge!Did you skip any days? If so, read the email from yesterday, take notes, and meet me back here.On Day #16 we discussed the importance of setting boundaries, on Day #17 we reviewed the mantra "I can go from A to B today", on Day #18 we discussed the famous "follow-through train", on Day #19 we examined the belief "I am not a good writer" and on Day #20 we discussed a new way of external accountability - very powerful!Today on Day #21 we will have a final challenge!If you didn't do Day #20, please go back to it. External accountability is essential for your long-term progress!Today's action steps:a) Take a few moments and think about: "What has been the biggest take-away from this 21 Day challenge?" "What changes have I experienced in my daily habits?"b) Log into our Facebook group, and post your answers from abovec) Comment on at least one other post from another Member to show support.d) Extra credit: You rock for completing this challenge!Remember during Week #1 we talked about rewards? Now is the time to indulge, simply for taking the time to read the emails, and doing your best to implement the steps.Whether it is dark chocolate, a movie night, or your favorite take-out, reward yourself and thank yourself for sticking with this Challenge!e) Extra extra credit: You are one of the ambitious ones!Go back through the days and pick your favorite action step. In your update to your accountability partner, let them know you are committing to this action/habit until you finish your Dissertation.I am so proud of you for completing this 21 Day Challenge and cannot wait to see what you post in our group!Cheers,Dora ................
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