I've noticed that as graduate students in the final stages of their dissertations get precipitously close to actually finishing, a strange behavior may be observed. They (you).. balk. After years and years of "not being finished," finishing -- as in, next month, not next millenium -- is a shock that's sometimes too much to bear.
What's going on here?
You've wanted to finish this project for years.. and you're actually in the final editing stages.. but.. what do I spy here?
Self-sabotage!
You may be resisting finishing this dissertation on many levels, and for complex reasons.
One reason is fear of success. If your dissertation process has been a long and winding road, you may be attached, on some level, to a self-definition of yourself as "never finishing." You may be attached to a sense of failure, as it were, and fear change into its opposite: success.
Changing that definition of yourself involves changing your self-concept.
And any change is difficult.
Be mindful of last-minute self-sabotage. Why might you be resisting going through with the final stages of the dissertation process? Try to notice what comes up for you at this stage in the process and gently let go of old patterns and self-conceptions. Get ready to actually finish. Yes, it's TRUE. You are almost finished. You are going to succeed at completing what you started. Embrace success!
Mindfully yours,
Dissertation Diva
Thank you for posting this. I needed this tonight.
Posted by: Lucy | April 17, 2008 at 10:11 PM