Maintaining momentum means making steady, regular progress on your dissertation or major project, rather than working in bursts and stalling in between.

Our guidance on Planning your monthly workload and Time management and productivity covers how to plan your time. This guidance covers how to keep making progress once your plan is in place.

 

Setting goals and recognising progress

Divide your project into goals, such as a chapter, a data-collection stage, or a full draft. Working toward one goal at a time feels more achievable than working toward the whole project, and it gives you a clear way to track progress.

Make each goal SMART:

  • Specific – know exactly what you'll do
  • Measurable – know when it's finished
  • Achievable – realistic for the time you have
  • Relevant – connects to your overall project
  • Timely – has a clear start and end point

 

Not sure if a goal is the right size? Our tips on breaking assignments into steps are in Planning your monthly workload.

Celebrate each goal as you complete it. Recognising your progress, even in small steps, can help motivate you to keep going.

 

Try this…

  • Write down your next 3 goals and roughly when you want to finish each one.
  • At the end of each goal, write down one thing you're proud of.

 

 

Keeping a ‘done’ list

If your to-do list feels overwhelming, try making a list of everything you've already done that day instead. You may have been more productive than you think, and this can help motivate you to complete other tasks.

 

 

Taking breaks

Take short breaks to recharge. Most people find it hard to do more than 3 to 4 hours of focused work without a longer break. Time management and productivity covers how to structure breaks into your study time.

Longer projects also need periods of lower activity, not just high effort throughout. Include longer breaks in your plan, whether to rest or to give time to other deadlines. When planning these, check the University’s closure periods. Also check when your supervisor and other staff you rely on might be unavailable.

 

 

Focusing on your own timeline

Your own timeline is the one that matters. Every dissertation follows a different path, so a classmate's progress won't tell you much about yours.

 

Ask yourself…

What does progress look like for me this week?

 

 

Reducing pressure

Large assignments are full of big and small tasks. Set aside some of those smaller tasks for those days when you have lower energy.

 

Try this…

On a low-energy day, pick just one small task from your list, such as formatting, checking references, organising notes, or tidying citations.

 

 

Support with workload and wellbeing

If low energy turns into ongoing exhaustion or burnout, feeling drained and unmotivated for longer periods of time, take some time to reassess your workload.

If you are feeling stress, then contact your personal academic tutor, your student success adviser, or student wellbeing. All of them are here to help you through issues like this.

 

 

Page last edited: 25 August 2026
Next review due: 19 August 2029