Finishers’ Wisdom: Tip #3 – Positive Visualization

Recent doctoral thesis finishers Emma Kelly and Wendy Moore got together at the latest AUT Postgraduate Writers’ Retreat to collate their 10 top tips for working on a PhD thesis. ThesisLink is publishing their insights over two weeks in our latest blogging event: Finishers’ Wisdom! Enjoy.

Tip #3: The power of positive visualization

The end of the journey can sometimes seem so far away, it feels like a never-ending assignment. Try to keep in mind the end game – see yourself holding the bound end product, imagine your whanau being at graduation and watching you cross the stage, see the completed thesis sitting in a cabinet for all to see. Consider what colour you will pick to bind the thesis and see your name imprinted on the cover.

graduation hug
That big day is coming.

The tip: positive visualization / daydreaming can get you through the tough days when you think this is never going to be done. Think about walking across the stage at graduation, or seeing the finished bound thesis sitting in the cabinet, or being able to finally hand it to loved ones who have supported your journey.

About Anaise Irvine

Dr Anaise Irvine is the Editor of Thesislink and leads the Researcher Education and Development team at Auckland University of Technology. Her PhD research analysed how contemporary films and novels represent genetic engineering as a social justice issue. These days she works with researchers at all levels to improve their research skills, and the most obscure of her own research skills is being able to turn novels into phylogenetic trees!

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