hey hey sneaks,
hows is it going (busy - very busy by the sound of it) well join my world. It literally is crunch time. Re-drafting and writting from scratch are now second nature on my end....
I have to complete a scary section today
Start on another partially scary one.
Dabble in the final section.

As for the scary people you have to call just have a piece of choco. before you ring them.. and however they react it will not matter because you will be full of choc. endorphines :p

Everyone else- all the very best for today ... We can do this .. the finish line is round the corner for most of us its just that final push that is the trickiest( I can definately testify!!!)
Having no life is the order of the day for me- the odd coffee out or meal out is literally the most exciting thing ever.. so we are many in this boat!!

Morning all,

Thanks Skig for the encouragement, hope you get round to your goals as well today.... square dot , I managed only half a section yesterday!!! truth be told I was so distracted as had other stuff going on.. today I am hoping to complete two of the major scariest sections so I can move this along!!Those are my only goals for today.

All the best everyone Im sure we will overcome(up)

hey all,
squaredot your predicament with your most demanding chapter is the same as mine. I have fought with myself today and broken it down into bite size chunks its helping me to breathe a little easier!!

Everyone else all the best with the goals for today....

Three cheers to all of us slogging away - for working on a lovely saturday afternoon (up)

greetings,

I just thought I would revive this thread ...... I have to be thankful for the power of positive thinking .. I have finally overcome the phobia of my final discussion chapter and finished it this afternoon!!! after much gritting of the teeth and wanting to scream(actually screaming at times :p ) you get the picture.. anyway it took plenty of positive affirmations and now I need a whole other round of it to get through the next three chapters of summarising my thesis :-) any positvity stories are greatly welcomed ..... we have to try something the weather gave up on us and is utter rubbish but we can try and have sunshine in our heads (up)

Hey sneaks,
I had to sign on and say super congrats for the job ... you deserve it!!! I am sure you will complete everything on time .. I have loads to do as well... restructuring 3 chapters :p... it is taking all of my effort not to pack it in...I think im just so fed up of the routine of it ... but your very good news is spurring me on .. THERE IS HOPE YET!!(up)
VERY WELL DONE !!

and to every one else - one goal at a time ... I am taking that advise as well...I want to finish- ENOUGH ALREADY!!

Hi Natassia,
I just want to agree with what everyone has said especially Ady, we all get really anxious with meeting sups. and I - like Ady- am traumatised when i recieve emails from my sup even now at the end of the journey I still get a racing heart etc ... now to your concerns it is good that the issues are being ironed out now- not 2 years later :-)... I dont think you have anything to worry about ... Upgrades are just a formality, they know you can do it.. so just bolster your self confidence a little bit and take it one day at a time.. you will be fine .. remember it looks good for them as well if you actually complete your phd so they will want to support you :-)
All the very best.

greetings everyone...

talk about reality check!! after a wonderful Saturday evening, I was under the weather all of yesterday and couldnt even sit at my desk:$!! woke up today feel heaps better and the  truth hit home ...like you sneaks I have a mammoth task ahead of me for the next couple of weeks!! Skig I feel you all the way I have bits that I have been avoiding and now there is no where else to turn, cue the discussion chapters...( I wrote about this in the positivity thread- I  literally have to just grind my teeth and face the music and award my self a treat every now and then... but there are no more breaks now until the job is done:$:-( ...) well as I said we just have to try and keep it positive focusing on how the good bits have been really good and know that these not so great ones will pass as well... Skig you can do it!! .. I have my whole conclusion chapter to tackle yet!!

I will be working on the weekend too. However have a friends party to go to tomorrow evening and thats the most exciting thing in forever!! even though I will be going through my data(in my head)(up)

Hey all
Just a quick note to say thank you to corrine, cinderella, misspiggy and ingenieur for contributing to the positive vibes...

I had one more thing to add( probably not the last)- I have learnt that thinking positive is contagious and those around you soon start to feel it too. partners and pets included.

Encouragement to anyone struggling think of the bits that have gone really well and multiply them to overcome the not so great bits!!

greetings....

I have started this thread so we all try and feed on positive energy as opposed to dwell on all the negatives especially if you have a writing up deadline... anyone is free to join in and proclaim if they have witnessed a change in their productivity when they have focused on positive thoughts to overcome the many write up challenges.

I witnessed a change when I stopped constantly saying how much I hate the discussion chapters - I have now turned that to, I have to write it so I will make it as painless as possible and reward every little milestone....

Anyone else with mantras to share?

Hi all,

This is a great thread, it has helped me think through some of the stuff I have been through, its way too much and I would need more than the word limit allowed here( probably a whole other thesis) but most important
Like sneaks said - trust your gut- the supervisor is just another human being and not quite clued in on it all!!!:$ - If I had been clear about my vision and not tried to please everyone and incorporate their ideas into the thesis I would be a much happier bunny- but its all about lessons learnt .. I only came to grasp what it was I wanted to achieve as I headed into the write up stage !!! What a palava:-s ...nonetheless there are positive things I have learnt in the process....This forum for example(up)... no phd is picture perfect and I can only do the best I can..I am more aware of the shortcomings in my thesis and they stick out like a sore thumb at times( while writing the discussion chapter:$) but I am also very aware that I have tried to make a contribution to my field and that I think is the whole point of this process!! it may not be super succintly presented or how .. 100 other people or even my sup. would have done it BUT it is how I have chosen to do it...

I hope this encourages whoever is out there struggling with their blunders.....if you are close to submission the end is nigh...(mmmhh sounds like something out of a cheesy film- but I hope it makes my point )

(gift)(turkey) those are for all of us to enjoy!

I Just figured I would try working from a different location to see if i could break the distraction cycle, and it works a treat.. really I have become so used to just hunching over at my desk and i feel it is contibuting to the lack of progress as i dread sitting there sometimes... so anyway I have a new little writing place where only my thoughts and my laptop and maybe some relevant notes are allowed ...onwards and upwards (up)
For all those struggling out there, this might help try(gift)

Hi TerryCH

I havent really got the answer for you but a suggestion that I picked up from my upgrade - one of the examiners advised me to avoid using theory for theories sake!!! - so back to your issue, it might help you to give a name (invent one) to your specific approach to the many theoretical frameworks and then only mention the bits you have borroweed from each framework and how they add to your niche perspective ....examiners in your field will know what you mean just show them what is essential for your work an cut out all other explanations....
All the very best (up)

Hey all,
Long time .. I had a massive dip in morale ....past two weeks.. hopefully im back now and can get on with it .. I have been working on a section and keep getting distracted .. I want it done before I sleep tonight even if it means midnight as I have a whole other section to re-jig tomorrow!!

Sneaks I feel for you .. but be consoled we are many in that horrible boat(too much to do and absolutely no time- boat)

I have a question for everyone ... why do I feel like just saying I cant be botherd anymore and it is literally a few weeks before the end? I am having to fight very hard with my self on this!!!! The end really is the hardest bit!!:$

Hi runner,
I cant even begin to explain how much I know exactly what you are going through ... I had a few good weeks and then suddenly last week when I was to complete my discussion chapters I just became paralysed and could not bring myself to look at my work! let alone write anything, this is even after wrting in to my sup. and having sent him different pieces in the past weeks!! anyway it is only since about this morning that I have felt able to look at my work very slowly as I dont want to stress out again.. i have broken it down and reward myself with a guitar strum, a text to a friend, a biscuit or anything else just to make it ok to focus for a little while... I have no more advise than that ...but I am taking one step at a time and like everyone says try breaking it down... another thing I did for a few weeks was the pomodoro technique, thinking of going back to that when im working late into the night .... if you want an accountability partner I will be here untill I complete the thesis in the next few weeks so lets get through this emergency get it done thread together(up)