The absolute goal is to graduate and get the degree.

Practically, this means that your job is to get the necessary signatures from your thesis or dissertation committee so you can get your degree, graduate, and move on with life!  Also, you want to graduate in the shortest possible time frame.

Trust me, you can probably do things differently and save a lot of time and pain on the way to getting your thesis or dissertation approved.  It is too easy to become comfortable with a lack of progress and end up taking a year longer than necessary.