Project manage yourself to the thesis finish line

You are running a thesis marathon. If you are (like many) struggling with time management, meeting deadlines, and feeling overwhelmed and frustrated perhaps it’s time to take the reins and become your own project manager.

You know you only have a limited amount of time and energy in any single day or week. You must direct this towards your own, personal value-driven and prioritised goals. In this case, it will be submitting your thesis on time.

Try following the five phases of any project management process as identified and described by the Project Management Institute (PMI). These phases can be determined at the beginning of your thesis project but the trick is to continue adapting and refreshing this plan as the year progresses.

THE PMI 5 PHASES PROCESS

The PMI has developed five phases of any project management process: (1) conception and initiation, (2) planning, (3) execution, (4) performance/monitoring, and (5) project closure. I am using this framework in terms of your research project and pointing out how these five phases relate directly to specific phases in thesis writing.

During phase 1, focus on the title of your research project and spend time identifying specific goals and objectives. This part of your thesis project is tiresome and mind-blowing because you tend to wander around in circles trying to find the right wording. And then, to articulate your thinking on paper feels messy and incoherent. You are required to research the literature and concentrate on your unique topic and research questions with their associated aims and objectives. This phase requires direct communication with your supervisor and possibly other faculty members for input, feedback, and guidance.

Do not underestimate phase 2, the power of planning and creating timelines. Your focus is to be realistic and explicit in your endeavours. Spend time identifying and building your support team and prepare them for the process ahead. Be flexible in your planning, acknowledge psychological barriers, potential project killers, and that you are human, and life happens. Because, at some stage, you may have to reprioritise, get a grip, and get back in the game.

During phase 3, you get active, you physically do the work. In the thesis process, this equates to collecting data, analysing data, and extrapolating your findings. This is the fun part of your research project because it gives you the opportunity to be creative and dig deep to find the answers to your research question/s. This is where you play with your canvas and create your masterpiece. Be flexible with your actionable items and update them daily because they will keep changing.

Phase 4 requires taking stock. How are you performing with respect to your goals and objectives? Presumably, you have identified ways in which to measure your own performance. This is an essential part of any project because it addresses accountability and control. Throughout this process, engage with others for feedback: peers, colleagues, supervisor/s, faculty members, a mentor, a coach, or friends.

During phase 5, you tie up all the loose ends. You tweak the product. In thesis terms this means articulating your conclusion, summing up the limitations of your study, identifying suggestions for future research, acknowledging those who supported your process (in writing), ensuring your references are perfect, having your work edited, checking that you have adhered to all the technical specifications, and probably numerous other items.

The trick is to keep yourself motivated by engaging with your thesis work every day. No matter how small the task just do something that keeps you in the thesis thinking loop. It is easier to stay on top of your project when you stay engaged. Remember it is difficult to get back in the game if you let it go.