Crunch Time

Well this is it...my last semester as a doctoral student!  On Wednesday I began the first day of my last semester.  It was surreal sitting in class and introducing myself as a Ph.D. Candidate.  Yes,

unfortunately I have one class left to take, but thank God it's an elective that pertains to my dissertation topic!  But with all of the joy now comes a lot of blood, sweat and probably tears.  I have exactly 4 weeks to finish my dissertation and then 2 weeks to have it edited and reviewed by LSU's library to make sure it can be converted into an electronic document for their database.  So now the work begins...early mornings, late nights and a small social life.  Yes, I said small, because despite the pressure that I am under to get this done all while being a mom and running a private practice I have to remember to have fun and to take care of me!  Last semester I closed my private practice for two weeks to get the first three chapters of my dissertation completed, I am still trying to recover from that loss of income which caused me an unmeasurable amount of stress.  Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of closing my private practice this semester to get the last two chapters completed, but I can control my stress level.  So while I work hard Monday thru Thursday I am going to continue with Fridays being "Me Day" where I engage in activities that help me to relax like going to the spa, getting my hair done or hanging out with friends.  Sundays will be dedicated to the Lord and my family and Saturdays will alternate between seeing clients and enjoying life however I choice.  With a goal to defend my dissertation the week of March 9th, this will be the longest 3 months of my life. #CrunchTime #LetsGeaux