POTUS 37 and Dissertations

January 9th marks the birthday of the 37th President of the United States. Here’re some words of wisdom from Richard M. Nixon that you can apply to your dissertation…

Only if you have been in the deepest valley, can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.
— Richard M. Nixon

Sometimes the dissertation journey can seem like it winds directly through the valley of the shadow of death. Though it can be quite daunting, the sweetest victories are those that were hardest fought.

I know that it’s little solace as you’re rolling the boulder up the hill, but achieving your dreams against great odds is ultimately more satisfying than having your work rubber stamped and approved.

Defeat doesn’t finish a man, quit does. A man is not finished when he’s defeated. He’s finished when he quits.
— Richard M. Nixon

Irony, much? But, seriously…

The attrition rate among doctoral students is roughly 50%. Some students make the cognizant decision that they simply do not want to earn their doctorate. They think that it might be a good idea from afar, but, upon seeing what it’s like up close, they decide that it’s not what they want for their lives.

That’s a perfectly fine decision for you to make, as long as you are the one making the decision. Too many doctoral students feel like they have the decision to quit forced upon them.

Deciding to do something else is fine; quitting is not.

Never say no when a client asks for something, even if it is the moon. You can always try, and anyhow there is plenty of time afterwards to explain that it was not possible.
— Richard M. Nixon

Good advice for dealing with your committee. Never say, “no.” Instead, do what they ask of you. You’d be surprised how accommodating most committees are when you come up a little short while trying to deliver.

If you feel like you’ll never work your way out of the valley, if you feel like you’re being forced into a decision to quit, even if you just can’t figure out how to deliver what your committee wants, click here to schedule a quick, 15-minute chat with me to see if you’re a good fit for our Fast Track Your Dissertation Coaching Program. If you are, then I’ll invite you to join the fastest group of dissertation students out there and help you to reach graduation a good year or two faster than you would on your own.