How do I stop obsessing over word count and just finish?

[Emma]

I have a 200-page dissertation to write. I'm at 180. I keep adding sentences, adding citations, adding footnotes. I'm scared to stop. What if I've missed something? What if my committee thinks it's not enough? A professor told me: “You're not writing a book. You're writing a dissertation. It needs to be complete, not comprehensive.” I know she's right. But I can't stop adding. How do you know when you're done?

 

[Clarisse]

I'm a postdoc. I struggled with this too. Here's the test: read your conclusion. Does it answer the research question you posed in the introduction? If yes, you're done. If no, you need to write more.

But here's the thing — you probably answered the question 50 pages ago. The rest was just... comfort. The feeling of "still working." But working isn't the goal. Finishing is. Print your dissertation. Read the intro and the conclusion. If they match, you're done. Stop adding.