Motivation Workshop Angela Gallagher-Brett (A.Gallagher- PGR Training

2 It’s important to distinguish between your motivation for starting a PhD in the first place and the motivation you will need to keep going to the end. Your motivation

3 Why are you doing a PhD? What key benefits do you associate with doing a PhD? Your motivation

Your demotivation What kinds of motivational barriers and difficulties have you experienced during your PhD? 4

5 Manage your time Look after yourself Know where & when you work best Plan and manage your tasks Collaborate ‘Flow’ Develop strategies to help you through the tough times Remind yourself of why you are doing a PhD in the first place Key principles in motivating yourself

6 Work back from your milestone deadlines Identify what you need to do and when it needs to be done by & also: –What a task involves –How long it’s going to take –When you are actually going to do it –Who you might need to help you –What resources/materials you need to do it Can you break the big task up into smaller tasks? Managing your time

….don’t forget about tasks that are important but not urgent Remember.. writing always takes longer than you think Learn to make use of little pieces of time – it improves your efficiency & keeps you motivated Pomodoro Technique

Time and place elements of motivation Identify the time of day when you are at your best –For many of us it is the morning Ensure that you’ve worked on your PhD before you lose control of your day Location matters – find somewhere to study that suits you 8

Look after yourself Seriously… –Take regular breaks –Get some relaxation –Eat well –Sleep well –Get some fresh air and exercise 9

Plan and manage your tasks Set yourself some goals – long-term & short-term Define your goal clearly List the steps to take to reach the goal Think of possible problems that could interfere Think of solutions to the problems Set a timeline for reaching the goal Evaluate your progress Reward yourself for your achievements (from McCombs & Pope, 1994: Motivating hard to reach students) 10

Goal-setting My specific goals for this month are… Actions or steps I will take to accomplish these goals are… How I will know I have accomplished my goals is by… Possible difficulties that may interfere with my goals are… I can overcome these difficulties by…… (adapted from Dörnyei, 2001: Motivational strategies in the language classroom) 11

Collaborate A PhD can be lonely Work with your peers – form studying groups or partnerships Talk about your research Look out for & attend events which could help you to meet people with similar interests Ask for help when you need it 12

The concept of ‘flow’ Work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi How does it feel to be in ‘flow’? Completely involved in what you are doing Highly focused You are finding the task challenging but achievable – you know you can do it You forget about the time You are enjoying yourself 13

To achieve a feeling of ‘flow’ You need a clear set of goals You need to perceive your task as challenging You have the confidence that your skills are good enough to complete the task You find the task enjoyable for its own sake 14

Develop strategies to help you through tough times Which motivational strategies have you used to help you in the past? Take time for reflecting & reviewing your progress Keep your notes organised & your research plan up-to-date Have your support network ready for when you need it Even doing a small amount of work will help you progress Persist Remind yourself of the reasons why you are doing a PhD 15

Questions 16