Steve Tippins explains why dissertation proposals feel hardest: you must create a research problem from scratch and convince an unfamiliar committee to approve it. The trick is finding a doable gap in existing literature, not inventing something new. Once approved, the rest becomes enjoyable work.
You know, I for years have said the proposal is the hardest part of a dissertation because you're creating something out of nothing and getting a group of seemingly strange people to approve it. But, you know, when you look at it this way, you're creating a problem. You aren't really creating a problem. You're finding a gap in the literature and a gap that is doable. And once you do that, get your proposal approved, the rest is the fun part of the dissertation. Enjoy it.
