By Dr. Cheryl Lentz Blog

 5-time award winning author and 13 internationally published doctoral scholar  The Lentz Leadership Institute with our two imprints: The Refractive Thinker © Press and Pensiero Press  For my introduction, please view my YouTube Video:  See all of my videos on my YouTube Channel

 To see the initial blog post, please visit *Currently there are more than 100 posts and videos: from APA format to Grammar Gal

Agenda  Are you a struggling doctoral student scholar in need of support from family and friends?  Are you the spouse or family member of a struggling doctoral student scholar?  We will address these questions as well as offer effective strategies for success. Hang in there... Stay the course... Help is on the way!

 Meeting program requirements is important, but how do you meet the expectations in your work and personal lives as well?  Students do not exist in a vacuum. Life does not stop while one is in school. There are only 24 hours in a day!

 Often we have others in our lives to include family, friends, coworkers, and significant others who also have expectations for our time over the course of our doctoral pursuit.  Many times, this balance of commitment priorities is a struggle and a source of continual stress and heart ache. For some, this lack of balance can be a show stopper as well. There are only 24 hours in a day!

Which way do I go? Where do I turn? How am I going to make it?

What do these pictures have in common?

The Family Meeting  How many of you sat down with your stakeholders--- those who have a stake in the outcome---the success of your doctorate BEFORE you started school?

Let me invite you to sit down with your spouse/children/family, friends, coworkers, boss, church members and ?? Sometime soon. Let’s talk about the future and what can be expected. YOU NEED THEM! SIGN THEM UP TO BE YOUR SUPPORT NETWORK.

Family Calendar We need to talk about the next months  Keep a weekly schedule  When is study time?  When is family time?  When is spouse time?  When is friend time?  When is me time? [Yep you need to schedule you too!] Monthly Schedule  Special Events [Birthdays, Holidays, Vacation]  What can you do, what might you miss? TIME MANAGEMENT

REPEAT AFTER ME NOT FOREVER JUST FOR NOW

YOU NEED BUY IN AND COMMITMENT FROM YOUR STAKEHOLDERS If YOU can’t, then who can help? When? How? Meet your Support Team: Cheerleaders!!!

 Careful planning is one of the secrets to success. However this planning is NOT just about you.  You may be doing the heavy lifting during your doctoral program, but  (1) you do not exist in a vacuum, and  (2) you will not do this alone. What are your precise goals? What are the rewards?

 1. Family Meeting  2. Time Management  3. Self Care and Stress Management  4. Efforts vs. Outcome [see Rocking Chair Strategy on Blog]  5. APA Format [see Blog]  6. Financial stress, class, books, residencies, editor, statistician, other support help? ---it all adds up  7. Marriage/Relationship issues

 7. Marriage/Relationship issues. While I am not a marriage counselor or licensed therapist, let me simply offer that whatever issues you may be having now (relationship, financial, familial), these will be magnified as a result of the heightened stress that may come. Many times for some, small issues tend to become huge elephants in the room.

 For more tips on effective academic study systems and post graduate writing, please visit my blog at  Thank you again for joining me today. My name is Dr. Cheryl Lentz and I hope you find these suggestions within this video helpful. Good luck to you in your academic writing pursuits. Cheers! With respect, Cheryl Dr. Cheryl Lentz Chief Refractive Thinker ® Award winning author and publisher The Refractive Thinker® Press, where discriminating scholars publish. Las Vegas, NV Join me: Twitter, Linked In, My Blog, My Website, Facebook, & YouTube * 