You were assigned a paper in one of your classes. It was nothing new to you; the length assigned by your instructor was about ten pages. You knew you had time, so you didn’t worry about it. Fast forward to now: you realize that you only have days–not weeks–left.
Or maybe you are working on your dissertation. You told yourself that you would work on a section over the last few weekends or that you would “make more time” for it. Now all you see is a deadline looming over you, and you feel overwhelmed because you have no idea how to get back on track.
No matter what writing project you are working on, whether it be a dissertation, ePortfolio, or a final essay for that last class, now is the time to make small steps for yourself that are realistic, achievable, and make sense for you. You can get it done, whether you are a peer tutor, a writer, or both!
Challenge Your Excuses
We often invent excuses to justify not doing something that might be more difficult than we expect. No one ever said writing was easy! But authors Roberts and Hyatt recommend in The Dissertation Journey (2019) that you should meet your excuses head on–otherwise, you might not get anywhere with your writing project. Think about why you’re not writing. Are your excuses things that you can control? It’s one thing to not be able to find a babysitter and or to experience a life event, like a death in the family. Those are things you cannot control. But the most common thing I hear is “I don’t have the time.” I use this excuse a lot. When I’m challenging this excuse for myself, I realize that what I really mean is “I do have the time to do this, but I’d rather be sleeping in on a Sunday.” Think about the excuses that you make, and try playing devil’s advocate by making a rebuttal statement. Roberts and Hyatt recommend doing this to keep anyone from stalling. By making these statements, you’ll be able to get to the bottom of what’s really keeping you from finishing your writing.
Small Goals = Big Results
If you’re working on a larger writing project, such as an extended research paper or a dissertation, it might be a good idea to make smaller goals for yourself that will lead to a larger overall goal. Why? Research states “that setting goals are linked with self-confidence, motivation, and autonomy” (Price-Mitchell, 2018). Essentially, you are developing great qualities that will help you in your writing. You’re also setting yourself up for success, as Price-Mitchell also says goal-setters “are comfortable with risk, prefer innovation and are energized by change.” You’re open to the possibilities and know that your writing is dynamic, so your goals need to match your own unique writing process even though you may not yet be able to envision what the end product will look like.
Commit to a Schedule
Paul J. Silvia, PhD, author of How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing (2019), points out that it is super important to have a writing schedule. He suggests picking days and times that are “biologically realistic and defensible”–in other words, choosing times of the day where you won’t be distracted and that are physically possible. For example, if you have class from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and from 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m on the same day, writing between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. might not be a good idea. Chances are you might want to meet friends for lunch, still have to complete work for your 2 p.m. class, or run errands at this time. But what about writing after that last class? It’s physically possible and you know that once you have your afternoon coffee, you can hit the ground running. Picking a time like this might work best for you as a writer and you can feel better about accomplishing more.
Roberts and Hyatt advocate for making a timeline, “which can help you see the big picture and keeps you on track.” Write out your deadlines on a calendar or planner, so you can see what needs to be done in the future. Then, make a schedule for the week as to what needs to get done. Lastly, focus on what needs to be completed each day. This will keep you on task and as the authors state, “scheduled things tend to happen.” You’re not only planning out your writing but scheduling it like an appointment or family function, giving it just as much importance. This is important for your mindset, but also ensures that it will happen.
If you’re a procrastinator and only have a few days left to finish a project, plan out what those last few days will look like anyway. Chances are, even though you are short on time, planning and scheduling time for writing will eliminate unwanted stress and distraction.
Location, Location, Location
Picking a good location to work is just as important as planning it out. You want to be in an environment that energizes you and where you know you can be your most productive.
Roberts and Hyatt argue for avoiding places where there’s “background noise, city sounds, and people’s conversations,” as these sounds can lead to distraction, according to some research (2019, p. 72-3). However, I firmly believe that everyone needs to pick their own place that works best for them. For me, one of the places I work best is in a coffee shop, which is one of the places Roberts and Hyatt tell their readers to avoid. It works for me because I am surrounded by other people working on their laptops, which serves as a model for what I need to be doing. I also am energized by the smell of coffee – I couldn’t tell you why, but when I close my eyes and inhale that aroma, I get a “pick-me-up” like I was drinking actual coffee and can continue on writing. Also, when I’m in a coffee shop, I’m normally not distracted because I have my headphones on; I don’t hear the conversations around me. It works.
Silvia backs me up on this, stating that there’s other research showing that “academics write in a freakishly diverse collection of environments… from home offices to library carrels, park benches to sandy beaches, coffee shops to public libraries, torch-lit dungeons to abandoned sawmills.” I know that I can’t work in my apartment because I’ll get too easily distracted, so I head for the local coffee shop. Think about where you’re the most productive, and use that environment to your advantage. Make sure that you can use the space at the times that you’ve scheduled to write. Remember, if it works for you, then stick with it.
As you finish up those final drafts, remember to make these small changes with intention. Think of the rewards that will follow once you finish: you’ll feel proud of the work you’ve accomplished; your writing will be the best that you can possibly submit; and, perhaps most importantly… the project you’re working on will be done!
References
Price-Mitchell, M. (2018, March 14). Goal-Setting Is Linked to Higher Achievement. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-moment-youth/201803/goal-setting-is-linked-higher-achievement
Roberts, C. & Hyatt, L. (2019). The dissertation journey: a practical and comprehensive guide to planning, writing, and defending your dissertation. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.
Silvia, P. J. (2019). How to write a lot: A practical guide to productive academic writing. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.