I'm behind my timeline
Reforecast honestly, decide what changes, and tell people early.
In short
Start here, today. List every unfinished milestone with a realistic estimate of the work left, based on how long similar work has actually taken you so far. This takes about 30 minutes.
After that, work through these steps. Choose one to jump to it.
Step by step
Tick each step as you finish it. Open a step for the how.
0 of 5 steps done
Mark what cannot move
Funding end dates, growing seasons, program deadlines and committee availability are usually fixed. Everything else is negotiable.
Choose what changes
Where the estimate doesn't fit, choose: reduce the scope, move the date, or change the approach. A smaller study done well is better than a large one never finished.
Write the new plan down
Update your Milestone Map and log the decision, with the reason, in your Decision Log.
Tell your supervisor first
Send a short note with what slipped, why, and your proposed new plan. Supervisors almost always prefer an early, realistic plan to a late surprise.
Check your formal deadlines
If the delay affects program time limits or funding, ask your graduate office about extensions, part-time status or leave early. These options often need paperwork in advance.
Words you can use
Is this you? Signs to look for
- A milestone date has passed or is about to, and the work isn't close.
- You keep moving every task forward a week without changing anything else.
- You're avoiding your supervisor because you don't want to explain.
Why this happens
Almost every PhD runs behind its first plan. Recruitment is slower, an experiment fails, a chapter needs restructuring, life happens. Being behind is common. Staying vague about it is the real problem.
Pushing every date forward assumes the original plan was right and only the timing was off. It usually sets up the next miss. A reforecast uses what you've learned about your real pace and makes a trade-off.
Worth a look (3)
- Shut Up & Write!Free writing sessions, online and in person in over 80 countries, where you write quietly alongside others for a set time. It's a gentle push when you keep putting off your thesis.
- FocusmateBook a short video session with another person, say what you'll work on, then work quietly side by side. The free plan gives you three sessions a week.
- Time managementVitae's guide to managing research time, with simple techniques like logging your hours, separating urgent from important, and working back from deadlines.
When to bring someone in
If you are close to a program time limit or the end of funding, speak to your graduate coordinator as soon as possible. Extensions and leaves are much easier to arrange before a deadline than after it.
Find the right person, or talk to Ify