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Dissertation and Thesis Coaching based on Systems - Balance - Results Focus on the actions that will achieve your goals |
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Testimonials From Coaching Clients
I have found Gaye’s input very valuable indeed: she’s helped me through the process of balancing work, life and writing a thesis, and has been a tremendous source of practical help. I believe I wouldn’t be at the stage I’ve reached without her help. All the work we have done together has been by phone or email, and I know she works with other people via instant messaging - so geographical separation isn’t an issue. Thank you very much for your wonderful support. I have done more work on the dissertation [during our first month of coaching] than I have in the nine months leading up to the coaching. I spent time really investigating what is holding me up and causing this process to continue to be stalled. I have organized my dissertation binders effectively, and made a place for all of my ideas to “go.” I have worked more consistently on my dissertation and in so doing have been a little more engaged with the ideas that I had about what my project is trying to accomplish. Particularly helpful parts: you have helped me realize that there are ways and means by which I can “self-correct” some of my bad behavior; holding me accountable for hours spent on the dissertation; helping me to define digestible chunks to work on — I can’t seem to be able to do that on my own as I become quickly overwhelmed by the size of the project as a whole. I really feel like I am getting my money’s worth although I have to work harder to see more results. Interestingly, I think that I realized that there is no “cure” or panacea for this dissertation process. Having your support only works in that it gets me to do things, not in that it does the things. Not quite sure why I thought that there would be some “instant fix” for all the dissertation problems, some way to get it to almost do itself, but I seem to have realized that that is something I had in the back of my mind. Thanks for helping me in the big picture — working out what my thesis is about. I just want to thank you for such a helpful session tonight. I feel calmer and a bit more capable. I was very nervous to call and am so grateful that I have found one relationship in this whole dissertation business that is not judgemental of my progress. Gaye, you have helped me focus in on the things I really need to do, and made me accountable in a low-stakes way. This has been very, very helpful. In many ways, I already know what needs to happen, but there are so MANY things on the potential to-do list, it helps a lot to have your guidance in deciding which things are really important and urgent to take care of. For example, I don't think I would have started working by making a reverse timetable. The task was pretty time consuming, but it was very valuable. I feel so much better right now knowing where I should be in the process and why. If you hadn't asked me to think that through, I would be in denial about the schedule, and would have avoided looking into it out of fear. It would definitely be haunting me at night!
Having a deadline with you to accomplish certain tasks has helped also. So, I guess coaching has helped with my motivation — not on the dissertation as a whole, but with the specific sub-tasks involved. Your recommendation that I get started with the subject recruitment was helpful in that it focused my attention on an important, urgent task, but knowing that you were expecting me to have made the calls really motivated me to get it done.
Another aspect of coaching that is helpful to me is that you are separate from the rest of my life. You are not the person evaluating my work, you don't live with me, etc., so I don't have to worry so much about how I come across. It would be hard to go through this process with my advisor, for example.
I also appreciate your willingness to give concrete advice and recommendations. I interviewed another coach who seemed more like a therapist — it seemed as if EVERYTHING I said got restated or turned into a question. I value your willingness to share your knowledge and expertise with dissertation-related tasks. The coaching has been really great and very useful to me, and definitely worth the fee. I feel that I am getting my money's worth and that I can afford the process. JBP, Northwestern University, USA
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