Mulligans and Dissertations

October 17th is National Mulligan Day. In golf, a mulligan is a do-over, a re-do, a second chance. Have you ever wanted a dissertation mulligan?…

Did you pick a particularly difficult topic? Would you like a mulligan?

Did your dissertation chair leave the university? Need a mulligan?

Have you been having trouble with the writing-your-dissertation part of your dissertation? Take a mulligan!

I’ve talked with dissertation students who’ve spent years working on their dissertations with nothing to show for it.

I’ve talked with dissertation students who are incredibly accomplished professionals but find only frustration and confusion in the dissertation process.

I’ve talked with dissertation students who wistfully lamented the fact that we hadn’t spoken together sooner.

The fact of the matter is that we could all use a mulligan every now and then…especially dissertation students! But, the unfortunate reality is that there are no mulligans in life and none for your dissertation.

Some times you have to regroup. Sometimes you have to start over. But you can never get back the time. You can never erase the stress or frustration.

So, what’s the answer?

Get comfortable with the dissertation process as soon as possible.

What’s the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. What’s the next best time? Now.

The same idea applies to your dissertation. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been working on your dissertation. It doesn’t matter how much — or how little — you’ve accomplished.

Wherever you are in the process, you need to get comfortable now. Develop your research plan. Recruit your support network. Set your goals and milestones. Plan the work and work the plan.

There are no mulligans in the dissertation process. But what if there were? What good is a do-over if you do it over the same way?