Hi! I'm a History of Art phd, and I'm really struggling at the moment with self-motivation issues, which is driving my supervisor crazy! I started the phd full of high hopes and very enthusiastic. I'm still enthusiastic, but for some reason just can't motivate myself. Part of the problem I think is that I'm academically isolated as I'm working out of the U.K and it's an hour and a half bus ride to the nearest library! I don't know any other phd's here, and my friends aren't really interested. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to get my arse in gear and start treating the phd like a day job?? Or has anyone experienced similar difficulties? Thanks! If I don't finish a chapter soon I'm worried I'll get kicked off the course!

If you have an Athens-Password you don't need a library. All you need is an Internet connection, so that should not be a problem.

Motivation: don't know myself. Sometimes the only way I can motivate myself is by telling me that it is only a limited period of time of doing a PhD or the pain I would feel if I did not get it.

PhD is really tough...

Hmm, there's a lot of stuff I need that's not on Athens, especially primary sources.

Phd is tough! It's definitely a love/hate relationship. I think my problem is that unless I feel excited about what I'm doing I don't feel like doing it, and of course, it's impossible to feel excited on a daily basis. I would say that I'm just lazy, except for the fact that when I have a job, routine or schedule I do fine. I've tried giving myself one, but it just doesn't seem to work! Arrrgh!

yeah, I forgot about primary sources and so on.

I've had good and bad times in my PhD. During the good times I felt really in control and could feel the momentum, in bad times I just couldn't be bothered with all that cr**.

I think the only way to get through it is to get going (without thinking about it). Even if the light at the end of the tunnel is not visible most of the time. I'm just telling myself - in less than 20 months (if everything goes to plan) it's finally done.

Thinking about the end result and why you are doing the PhD in the first place (should) help with the motivation.

I have had slumps in motivation before and I can sympathise - it really gets you down.

What I do is set myself a couple of achieveable goals to be completed in a set time (say a week) and then set myself a reward to look forward to when I finish the goals.
Example: I will finish a draft of this chapter and email it to my supervisor for comments by 11am on Friday, and as a reward I will meet my boyfriend for lunch in the city on Friday to celebrate.

Also, telling people about your goals helps you stick to them. If I tell my bf we are having lunch on Friday and I don't get the chapter done, he says "no lunch and you have to stay home on Saturday and Sunday until you finish your chapter".

Also, once you get going with work, it is easier to keep going. It is just that initial push to get started that is hard - we PhD students follow Newton's law about staying at rest until acted upon by an external force! Good luck and set some goals now!

Finding this board motivated me. I felt quite isolated, and finding that other people where in the same boat (I know it sounds obvious) gave me a real boost.

There is no magic formula to self-motivation, but if it helps, if I know other people are working hard, that's in incentive to me.

I have to bribe myself: no time with boyfriend if I don't work. It doesn't always work - but I hate the guilt I get it I don't work. So usually the bribe pays off...

Hi plumshower

just a few tips:

To be motivated you need to "value" what you are working on: Is the PhD important for you? If not it will be difficult to motivate yourself.
You need to see a result of puttung in effort: thus make a chart/ keep a logbook writng down progress. It helps to have specific goals.

You need to "belong": try and get in contact with people who are in a similar situation and start up a study group (or join in discussions on the forum).

You need to have a feel of equity; you should not put in more effoet than your peers.

Hope this helps

Hi there, I agree you need to try to connect with others but not sure how you can go about doing it. I also struggle with motivation as I work mainly from home and am a way away from uni. I try to go in once a week and just hang around the post grad rooms and get a snippet of conversation with other students..I don't know many of them so they probably think I am a real weirdo. Also there is only one other student who is researching in my area. I do know that once I have had just half an hour chatting to her I am fired up again. Def. try to make a connection, xx