Referring to our previous article, nobly titled as “Get Off Your Ass and Write Your Thesis“, the bottom line is that it may be easier to stay motivated in grad school in the long run if you work hard consistently, rather than falling behind on your short-term objectives, such as paper writing, and then burning the candle at both ends during stressful peak periods, as deadlines are approaching. Consistency is key to productivity in every area of life.
Of course, everybody can have a writer’s block once in a while, or “poor performance periods” – it’s part of the process. Grad school is a roller coaster, and it is a miniature version of life in many ways. Good times follow bad times.
As American painter, artist and photographer, Chuck Close famously wrote: “Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.” [1]
It’s simple. Sit Down and Write.