Hi, just wondering if anyone has any tips on motivation? I started my PhD part-time last September, and even though I find the subject interesting I just can't get going with it. I can just barely get myself to do some reading every now and then, but getting anything written down is murder. It's hard to get my teeth into it when I'm also having to work almost full time to pay my fees.

Any ideas? I'm worried that if I'm like this when I'm just starting out I'll be even worse towards the end. And I'm falling further and further behind, I need to do something about it now.

hmm, although I am not so good at taking my own medicine...


- try to work for just 15 mins, you can say to yourself you can stop in 15 mins, so it won't be that stressful, and chances are once you have done 15 mins you will carry one and do an hour or two.
- use my tomatoes to keep you working well.
- write constant lists of things that need doing, one for every day, week, month and year of your phd.

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Set yourself small targets to start with, really small! I find that my motivation is primarily dependent on two things, confidence, and having made progress. When I'm working well the motivation just feeds off that, so my trick is just to find a way to get started and feel on top of it. Hence, small achievable goals that I can triumphantly tick off my list.

As Sneaks said, mytomatoes.com is great for this. Set yourself a target of just one or two tomatoes to start with, it's such a short space of time per tomato that it won't feel intimidating. As you get into it, raise the bar a little. Be realistic about what you can do whilst also working full time, as nothing that will sap your motivation faster than failing to meet your own targets.

In terms of writing itself, have you tried free writing just to get yourself going? Set yourself a time of ten minutes and write continuously for it, doesn't matter what on. Next, try doing it for your topic or current reading (no stopping to look at notes, this isn't going in the thesis). Again, it raises your confidence and stops writing feeling so overwhelming.

Oh, and rewards! Som people here give themselves a little gold sticker in their diary for every day they write. I schedule in activities and meetings with friends to look forward to. You could even promise yourself a little present for when you meet a certain goal.

I wrote 400 words last night! I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself. I think just posting this thread helped to give me a kick up the bum somehow.

Thanks for your tips, I'd never heard of mytomatoes.com, it looks really helpful. I've been advised before to write for an hour every day, but an hour can seem like a really long time, this seems a lot more manageable.

400 words?? well done! I am in the same boat, started in September, have reems of notes and no real writing done, although I have a deadline for next Sat for a conference paper which is still in note form! I actually decided to submit conference papers cause they will force me to work (assuming I get accpeted!) another thing is not checking your email before lunch, I loose the whole day if I check my email in the morning!
My contract is up in March (19th let the coundown begin) and I plan to catch up on all of the time not spent studying then, tall order I know, but I find that I always seem to get into the phd and then work gets in the way! And I have a ten year old daughter so weekends are out! One of the main things I find helps me when I loose the will to live (ie think my project is the most useless idea ever or that I am incapable of writing coherent scentences) is re-reading the PhD proposal, which if I do say so is well written and gives me a buzz so I get back to it.... think I might go and read i now actually as I have done sweet F all today!!!!

Hello taxing, you could try the accountability threads here, I find the second year one really useful for keeping track of myself. I also find it useful for seeing how other people are doing, it makes me realsie I am not alone and that sense of camaraderie gives me a push, and makes me work more easily. Perhaps a first year one would give you a bit of that peer support too, or you could just join one of the existing ones, all are welcome. Aside from the accountability threads, all are welcome at the forum generall, it's a nice community, and makes you feel as if you have colleagues! Something I find otherwise lacking in PhD work.


Also, I work almost full-time too, and often find myself frustrated by lack of time or focus on the PhD work, but I think the thing to do is just make the time. That's what I've decided tot do this term, just to remember that the point of the job is because it should facilitate/help my academic career, and I need the PhD research, more than anything in order to make that happen.

Good luck.