I am just HATING this last bit of writing up. I have still got quite a bit to do, thesis has to be at the binders in 9 days. I feel so resistant, I just want to eat cake and watch films and do anything, ANYTHING but this.

How do I get some motivation to finish and feel good about it, or do I just have to accept that this last bit is excruiating and painful?

I still have to finish writing my conclusion and show it to my supervisor who is poised to give feedback I'm really avoiding that, but it needs to happen pronto!
Everything else is very very nearly there, should be all done in the next day or so.

I know I'm so close, why am I being such a sulky dufus!!! :S

Haha, I was the same, total burnout. Knowing you're almost at the finishing line doesn't make the last mile of a marathon any less painful. If you can, finish the "everything else" first, then focus on the conclusion - it might be easier psychologically. Good luck!

Theboakster...I feel your pain. I am in more or less the same boat. I need to submit end of this month. I have written and gotten feedback on my main three chapters. I am waiting for feedback on the second draft of my conclusion chapter but I still need to send the first draft of my introduction chapter. I did write most of the introduction during but i need to update and add some new sections too. I have set a deadline for myself to finish by the week beginning 19th - assuming I get feedback on my introduction asap. However, I lack motivation and each night I go to bed I promise myself to get up early to write but I end up waking up around noon :(...and today was no better. I'm just sitting here, watched the grand prix qualifying, now watching rugby even though I am not a rugby fan! Anything to procrastinate :(
We will get there...doesn't matter how but I have faith we will :)

'Knowing you're almost at the finishing line doesn't make the last mile of a marathon any less painful.' Kelpie, that makes SO much sense right now! I thought that too, that if I can finish everything else bar the conclusion, then I think I'll feel much more nearly finished in some strange way!

Oh cherub, I know totally that feeling. I watched a film last night, didn't do any work at all, then had to work this morning, all the time there's a tick tock tick tock going on in my head. I just had some advice from a colleague to 'stick a cover on it', which I thought was good... I just need to get a PhD, I don't need to write a magnum opus, and I seriously need to finish this thing. Today I'm powering on, just doing what I can. Doesn't need to be perfect, but it DOES need to be done! Ten years part-time, and I'm totally done with it.
We totally can do this!

I had one of those count-down clocks on my desktop to motivate me...I'm not sure what happened to it but it somehow disappeared! When you are staring at the finish line I don't think you need to see a clock to remind you. I am very conscious of the tick tock in my own head!

I've actually managed to get off the sofa now to do some writing and I copied and pasted an image too (yaay)...so good progress..small steps I know, but every little helps :).

I've always found comfort in this forum...feels good to know I'm not the only one in this situation. Like I said before, when this is all done and dusted, we'll be amazed how we got through it :)

Yay! Getting off the sofa is goood, and small steps is totally what makes a thesis I reckon. I've had quite a productive 4 hours or so, so I'm allowed to watch the rest of my film from last night :) and that will keep Mr Boakster happy too! Full day of work tomorrow - just. got. to. keep. goinggggggg....

Different things work for different people. For me, the motivation was the thought of not having to get up and go straight to my desk to write any more. I made a list of things I would do after I submitted - silly things like stay in bed late, read a book for pleasure, not do anything PhD related for at least a week (or however long). I also booked to go away right after submission, so that helped too.

You can all do it!! You're so close! GOOD LUCK!!

Thank you!!! It's the last day of editing/proofing today (and a teeny tiny bit of writing, just three paragraphs really) and I can't believe I've got here!

Off to the binders in the morning! EEEEEEEEEK!

Unfortunately I have two lectures to give this week, which I haven't prepped yet, so there won't be a chance to enjoy myself properly until Friday...

Hope yours is going ok Cherub

Hi Theboasker,
Best of luck!! I envy you :) I'm going through my usual morning routine of reading anything and everything unrelated to my thesis before I bury myself into it. Love procrastinating don't I :)
I am submitting next Thursday 29th if all goes to plan...I have Friday and Monday just in case. I'm currently going through my chapters renumbering all my compounds in the text, Figures, captions, etc. and it is really mind numbing! I've submitted the second draft of my introduction to my supervisors so waiting on that and hopefully all that will left will be some editing and making sure EndNote is behaving as told!
I'm so looking forward to this ending!