Understanding

yourself and
2 preparing
yourself for the
journey ahead

Overview
At one time in my life, I was a potter. I was a very good potter after I
learned that the only way to centre the clay on the wheel was to first
centre myself. Once the clay was centred, I could then shape the vessel
with confidence. Being centred allowed me to play with various shapes
and forms. I could create utility items like sets of mugs or, with a flourish,
create a unique piece of art. The same centring principle applies at each
step of production, through turning and decorating.
Locating your centre brings focus, confidence, and self-expression to
your work.
Margaret Robertson

This chapter is about reflecting on your ways of knowing, being and doing
so that you can centre yourself in your thesis journey. This involves under-
standing who you are and how you like to work so that you can choose
whether to bring yourself into your writing a lot or a little, and how. If you
know who are and how you work best, you are better positioned to perform
the researcher and thesis writer identities you want.
In this chapter we introduce a set of four pointers for you to consider for
paving your path to a successful thesis. The pointers are centred around top-
ics that concern all thesis writers. These pointers focus on understanding
yourself, staying healthy, nurturing personal relationships and developing
academic support networks to help on your path to a successful thesis.
These four pointers are about understanding who you are and who can help
you in your thesis journey. The pointers set the stage for Chapter 3 and your
emerging identities as a researcher and thesis writer.

DOI: 10.4324/9781003323402-2 9
Understanding yourself and preparing yourself for the journey ahead

Figure 2.1 You as a thesis writer

1. Understanding yourself: A pathway to success

You have different ways of knowing, being and doing, including ways of
communicating, that influence how you think and see the world. Some of
your ways stem from intrinsic capacities. Others have been learned early
in life or have emerged and strengthened through your life journey. Your
intrinsic capacities, coupled with your life experiences from home, school,
community, workplaces and social contexts, have helped to create a unique
‘you’ and have affected how you see the world, how you see yourself and
how you work within it.
Your existing ways of knowing, being, doing and communicating are
reflected in your research in multiple ways. They emerge through the choices
you make about who you research, what you research, the theoretical and
methodological framings you choose for your research, the ways that you
interpret your data, how you work on your thesis, and even the words that
you use to construct your text.

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