POTUS 42 and Dissertations

August 19th marks the birthday of the 42th President of the United States. Here’s some words of wisdom from Bill Clinton that you can apply to your dissertation…

In the new economy, information, education, and motivation are everything.
— Bill Clinton

In the years since Clinton was in office the world has gotten smaller, competition has gotten stiffer, and the means of differentiating yourself has gotten tougher.

Pursuing a doctoral degree is an excellent way to stand out in a crowd so that you can find your platform, have your voice herd, and make the impact on the world you are called to make.

But getting there requires persistence…

Nothing big ever came from being small.
— Bill Clinton

Achieving big goals like earning a doctoral degree requires a big commitment. It requires big effort. And, it requires a lot of perseverance…

If you live long enough, you’ll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you’ll be a better person. It’s how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.
— Bill Clinton

But, of course, you need a plan if you want to be successful…

I still believe in a place called Hope.
— Bill Clinton

Hope is a great and powerful thing. But, as motivation, it can ring hollow.

You have to have a specific vision in order to get there.

You need to know where you’re going so that you can come up with step-by-step directions to get you there.

So, ask yourself…

Do you have hope, or a plan?

Have the mistakes you made along the way taught you how to move forward or eroded your confidence is worn to the point that you feel hard pressed to press on?

Do you ever feel that your goals are too big and you are too small?

Are you looking for a better way?