TA-DA! Winter Break Challenge begins January 18, 2010

Mark Victor Hansen, Ph.D. co-author to the Chicken Soup Series writes

“It’s not the size of the step that gets you there. It’s the fact that you’re taking the step.”

Even if you don’t blog at least take 1 important step to complete your Master’s thesis or dissertation.  Use the TADA Certificate to  set a deadline.  Print it out and post it on your wall as a daily reminder to do something no matter how small it is to move your thesis or dissertation forward.  Remember it doesn’t have to be perfect it just has to get DONE.

Now that you did 1 thing can you do more than one? Are you ready for TADA’s Winter Break Challenge? Are you planning on completing your Master’s thesis or dissertation this year? Are you looking for thesis help or dissertation help?

A group of students at the University of Maryland will be participating in “Dissertation House on Campus” for one weeks. Some will be participating on-line and others will meet daily from 9:00am-5:00 pm. Join us, as we work on our proposals, theses, or dissertations.

Many people use the TA-DA! Challenges to take a step on getting one thing accomplished and setting a schedule to get that one thing done. They get that one thing done and then are able to enjoy their break without the sense of guilt looming in the background. Other people set out to see how much they can accomplish in 4-5 days.

Many of you already work with deadlines. If you’re joining this challenge, your deadline is January 22, 2010. Let’s see how much can you get done in 1 week! Are you ready?

In the “Comment Section below” Post the answers to the following questions:

• What will you work on?
• How much time will you spend daily working on it?
• Tell us how much progress you are making, or problems you are having.
• At the end of everyday plan what you want to accomplish the following day

Here are some helpful tips:

• Breakdown your tasks into bite-size manageable chunks and make a list and post that list in a public space.
• Make a daily commitment to work on your thesis or dissertation. Set aside a reasonable amount of time each day to work on your thesis or dissertation. You can get a lot done in 15 minutes a day.
• Work within your limitations . . . if you are a morning person by all means make yourself some coffee and spend 15 minutes with your dissertation before everyone else rises . . . if you are a night owl . . . turn the TV off 15 minutes earlier and write for 15 minutes.
• Celebrate small victories when you accomplish your tasks for the day. Spend the rest of the day guilt-free enjoying your Winter Break knowing that you have done something (no matter how small) on your dissertation.
• Whatever you do, don’t spend the week constantly worrying and saying to yourself ‘I really should be working’. Above all, enjoy your Winter Break.