I have written three doctoral theses and before that two masters’ theses, as well as various academic textbooks. In each case the thesis or book would not have been completed if I hadn’t fixed deadlines for each chapter.
My first academic supervisor, Professor Arthur Johnston, warned me about the dangers of not establishing deadlines. It was when I was working on my MA dissertation at the University of Wales. He said he had known academics who had researched and read in libraries on their topics for years: they never felt they were ready to write, and in the end never wrote the thesis. Professor Johnston said he had himself read and researched for ten years at Oxford before writing his doctoral thesis. Since then I’ve seen it all myself–research students, and even university lecturers, who never get beyond their first degrees, and yet who renew their registration for a master’s or doctoral degree every year. Every year they pay the expensive registration fee; every year they send letters to their supervisors to explain why they haven’t submitted any chapters! Procrastination is surely the thief of time. The truth is, we seldom feel ready to act.
Jesus said to the lame man at the pool of Bethseda: ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ There comes a time when we have to take the initiative and act. Before Jesus said that, he asked the man an important question. He said, ‘Do you want to walk?’ The man replied, ‘Yes’ – and only then could he take the initiative.
We must have a positive and willing frame of mind before we can begin to achieve our goal. We have to want to walk! We must want to possess the goal badly enough. And then we must identify deadlines, or progressive steps, in our journey towards the goal. After each deadline we must take up our beds anew. Each time it will be easier. Each time we will be stronger and wiser. And each time we’ll be nearer the goal! The power of God will come to us as we take that initiative at each step. The saying, ‘God helps those who help themselves,’ is full of wisdom.
It’s like walking towards those closed glass doors you find at airports and departmental stores. The doors remain firmly closed until you step onto the plate that activates the mechanism that makes them slide open. God opens doors in the same way. He will never open a door at the time when you ask for a door to be opened. You must ask, of course. But having asked, you have to believe in him–and in yourself. You have to get up and walk in confidence towards the closed door. When you get there, the door will open.
In other words, each step must be made in faith. The Bible tells us, ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God.’ It’s absolutely true. I’ve tested this principle many times. Faith and positive initiative–stepping out in confidence–is what pleases God. Only then will he open the doorway to your selected and visualised goal.
Often, of course, the path towards your selected goal is uphill. But growth is normally upwards! Growth follows a law of natural development–from one vantage point to another. When I wrote my D.Litt. thesis (during full-time employment as a university professor), I did more than set deadlines for the progressive chapters.
I was methodical.
I asked myself, how many chapters do I want to write? Seven? Very well. Then I chose suitable and reasonable deadlines. I made those deadlines coincide with the end of university vacations, or periods of leave, or long weekends. I told myself that the research for each chapter should be completed by a week–perhaps two weeks–before the vacation, leave period, or long weekend began. This meant that I had to be ready to write a week or two before the vacation, leave or weekend break. This meant that I would have time free for the writing. I made sure that I didn’t plan any other activities for those free times.
I made sure, in other words, that preparation would coincide with opportunity. All my research–my reading and note-taking–had to be completed by the writing deadline.
When the writing deadline arrived, I had to apply firm discipline. The whole family understood that I wasn’t to be disturbed during my morning writing sessions at home. One of my little daughters understood this clearly and stuck a notice in her large scrawl on my study door: ‘Don’t disturb–daddy is WORKING.’ I came to an understanding with myself that I would write at least three or four pages a day. It wasn’t an impossible or very demanding workload. And usually I’d write six or seven pages–and complete the chapter well before the end of the vacation or leave-period!
An important rule was always to allow time to relax and enjoy with the family. I used the carrot-at-the-end-of-the-stick incentive, too. Always be sure to reward yourself for work done! During leave periods which were my writing times, I would always be sure to leave the evenings free. A morning of successful work–of four or five pages written and edited–would always ensure that a long walk, or evening free with the family, was enjoyed to the full. A rest earned is a rest enjoyed! All I was doing–unconsciously, perhaps–was applying the principle of positive reinforcement which B F Skinner, the behavioural scientist, wrote about. Skinner discovered that rats learnt the routes through mazes a lot faster when they realised a reward of cheese would be found at the end of the maze!