Corrections motivation

G

In January I was awarded the PhD subject to "minor" corrections which I have been given 6 months to do. These minor corrections involve additional literature, restructuring and a complete re-write of the discussion chapter. Logic tells me to just get on with it however my motivation is at such a low and not helped by (genuinely lovely) people around me congratulating me on finishing. Feels like I'm still so far from the finish line.

GM

G

Sorry to hear you are feeling unmotivated; it's very common to feel that way after all the adrenaline and anxiety of the initial submission and viva. Most people never want to touch the thesis again, which is why corrections that go beyond fixing typos tend to be such a slog.
I think the only answer is to work without waiting for the feeling of motivation. Just pick a time of day for working on corrections, set a timer for 25-45 minute intervals during that slot and work on your discussion chapter until time is up. Divorcing my decision to write from my feelings about writing was the most important skill I learned during my PhD. Now that I am done, I do often feel enthusiastic about my research but it's still done wonders for my productivity that I write regularly every day whether I feel motivated or not. The slog of corrections are a good opportunity to practice that skill.

L

That's good advice from gwen88. Break it into small bits, maybe draw up a timetable for what you'll make yourself do each week to get it all done on time, and plan a reward at the end of the week- something that will give your brain a rest! You'll probably find that when you get down to it, it's not as bad as it seems because part of feeling demotivated is the feeling that you should be doing it and aren't -so removing that can help. If you can't face more than two or three small bursts of it during the day, just start off with what you can manage. My partner has just been through this, he was so sick of the thesis he left it really late but he had someone (me) to gently prompt him to do it before he had to start panicking. If you have someone in similar position perhaps their encouragement could help?

T

Or . . . to put things in perspective: You have only one chapter to rewrite and you also have a pass.

I'm not whining too much about this anymore, however, I was 'awarded' a revise and resubmit. I have eight chapters to rewrite and have no idea if I'll pass once I resubmit.

I would gladly be in your position, although I can completely understand how you are feeling.

Little bits at a time! This is great advice, and one that is helping me a lot when I start to feel overwhelmed or undermotivated.

You absolutely can do this, Grumpy Mule! Just go for it!

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