I wish I was as organised as everyone else on here. For some reason I just sit at my computer with the intention of getting something done but don't actually DO anything. It's strange when I feel like this because I know I'm wasting time, but I just keep thinking that I can't do the work - actually CAN'T do it. I know this negativity is rubbish and won't solve the problem but it's difficult to think positive when I'm so behind already. It's a never ending spiral down...
I'm just posting my thoughts, wondering at what point I will get my 'high' back and when things will start to get better.

What a bad week it's been!

Hi all

I realise, with guilt, that I am the one who checks in here the least, but that's just b'cos the daily or even weekly accountability does not work with me. My style is - ambitious goals (!) and then no work for some days and then a burst of work when it all gets done.

SO I think I had said my target was to complete fieldwork this term (done), transcripts (done), first draft of the project I am co authoring (80 pages, yes, done, after reviewing a massive body of literature). And this was the plan before the hols from Sunday.

Other targets by year end:

1. TO proceed further on said draft
2. To write paper for confernce in Jan first week
3. TO make poster for conference in Jan first week
4. To write review essay for journal
5. to send of a mission statement for another thing I'm getting involved in
6. To send of journal article after another round of proofs (will do on flight home, 9 hrs on plane!)

That's all for 2009, and will check in again in 2010 perhaps!!

Xmas cheer to all :-)(tree) (robin)

Good aims Bug, and I'm glad you're sounding happier (snowman)

Cobweb I did that a heck of a lot in my first year. Stupidly, things only really changed once I got into my second year and had no time to do anything. Now I feel really motivated! *rolls eyes*

I can't tell you how much making achievable daily targets has helped though. If I'm feeling really really stuck I will write down things like: 1)open document and 2) write two lines as my aims. Being able to cross them off (writing DONE is mandatory) makes me feel a flicker of achievement and sets the ball rolling for more. I also love looking back at the end of the day and writing down everything I've done. If it's not much, drag it out! 1) Got into office 2) Checked e-mail 3) Read one page of book X, etc. etc.

I recently started a thread about organization and Sue told me how she keeps cumulative lists of her weekly aims on her computer so she can look back and seehow much she's done. My weekly targets are on here but today I wrote my first six-monthly plan in a Word document so I can follow her lead.

Everybody works in different ways, as Bug has just demonstrated, but I couldn't get by without my lists and plans anymore. Maybe give it a try (robin)

Today: 1) Meet sup. DONE
2) Write and send off Finland abstract. DONE
3)Bash out rest of zero draft: CRUCIAL! DONE
4) Mark essay comparasions.

I'm really really tired so am going to mark the essays tomorrow. I need to accept that when I leave the office and come home I'm going to struggle to get work done. Things will have to be timetabled more realistically.

Tomorrow: 1) Mark esssays and hand in to office
2) Meeting about organizing conference- have ideas/plans ready
3) Read chapter 1 of book A

Tomorrow: 1) Mark esssays and hand in to office DONE
2) Meeting about organizing conference- have ideas/plans ready DONE
3) Read chapter 1 of book A

I didnt get my last aim done as I got confused with my diary and did today's work instead! So today:

1) Continue work on article draft: do mini recaps for each of 3 important theorists
2) Read article A
3) Read chapter B
4)E-mail sups with missing attachment

Haha Phdbug, I think I can have the crown for checking in the least, mainly because I have done almost NOTHING for my PhD in the two weeks after my car accident! Aside from the hugely draining pile of accident-associated paperwork that falls through the letterbox each day, I have just been completely incapable of doing anything constructive...I am away from my office, my routine, my pals, and my concentration is shot at. I have been giving myself a hard time and feeling really guilty (normally I pride myself on my motivation and effort), but I need to ease off on myself really and quit making myself feel bad about it. On the plus side, I am now able to self-propel a wheelchair for a couple of miles around the nearby park, have got a nice new car lined up for when my plaster comes off, and have achieved a record too-much-chocolate:not enough exerise ratio! Oh well....shit happens ;-) Well done to everyone else who is still working away in the run up to Xmas! KB

Hi KB welcome aboard and here, have a crown!
I know you've been bed ridden and admire you for already thinking of accountability!!!

Keen Bean I'm really sorry to hear about your crash. But you sound very motivated and driven, I'm not sure I'd even be worrying about work at all! Hope you start to feel better soon.

Last week:
1) Write and send off abstract for conference (in Finland, woohoo!) DONE
2)Write a coherent first draft of conference article. Need to have at least a clear sense of what I want to say. Not Entirely Sure! I've done loads of work but still no definite sense of argument. Maybe it'll have to be one of those hypothetical 'what if?' type papers...
3) Meet supervisor to discuss his feedback on my chapter and where to go next. DONE
4) Buy diary for new year and write in next year's important dates and stuff for first month. DONE
5) Mark (last batch!) essays and have handed into office by Wednesday. DONE
6) Continue database of names: finish the current batch. DONE
7) Read one chapter of Book A. Half done!

I've been using mytomatoes.com these past few days and it's been great. Makes it much harder for an hour of browsing/faffing around to slip by. It does mean though that almost every minute of my working day is now monitored, Big Brother style.

This week (ending Thursday):
1)Have plan of paper blocked out- crucial! Only 10 days left when I get back from xmas and this is an important conference for me.
2) Make sure all books are back to library!/Work out what to take home.
3)Look up books supervisor suggested. Read intro to both. Add names to database.
4) Finish chapter of book A! Photocopy other useful chapters.

I'm going to continue working over christmas but plan to mostly just read primary sources - novels and plays - so relatively un-stressful :) I might not have access to computer so when I return on 4th January I want to have:
1) Re-read 3 books I'm teaching in January
2) Read 2 primary sources for thesis
3) (skim) read 1 seconday source...Need to decide what this should be- see above list!

Hapy christmas everyone (tree)

Did I really think I would do all this:

...in the 7 days that made up my christmas break?! Needless to say I didn't. I did skim read the secondary source, read half of one of the books I'm teaching and most of 1 primary thesis sources.
I realise it's a crazy time to be updating this (2 am) but tomorrow is my first day back at the office and I just got a wave of fear passing over me as I lay in bed so thought it would help to write down my goals for the coming week, to stop me feeling lost. So:

1) Have draft of conference paper to show to sup on Thursday. I realise I've been banging on about this for ages but the 16th is D-Day so I really must have this done!!
2) Meet with others to discuss conference grant on Wednesday. Have list of hotels prepared beforehand, and some ideas for timeline.
3) Have read 'Kim'.
4) Have transferred all dates into the lovely diary my flatmate bought me for xmas
:-)
5) Have finished 'Troilus and Criseyde'.

That means, tomorrow:
1) Transfer dates.
2) Work on draft- finish looking at and noting down details in section of play. Go through zero draft and highlight useful bits. Organize useful bits into some kind of structure. LEARN TO STOP PANICKING.
3) Read 30 pages of 'Kim'.

Hope everyone has had a lovely christmas and here's to 2010 (mince)

hi bug, everyone
im also year 2 :-)
satchi

Hi Satchi, welcome on board.

I want to add one more thing to this weeks aims: back up work onto external hard drive. A boring but very useful present from my dad.

:-)

hey how did u put that bird on your post.
Oh. there is it (robin)
hahahahhaha

I had a lovely day today, managed to get some work done.
Hope it was the same for everyone
(turkey)(tree)(snowman)
satchi

======= Date Modified 07 Jan 2010 21:12:31 =======
Glad you had a great day Satchi :-)

This week had been going pretty well until today when I couldn't go into uni because of snow and all my motivation dissolved. Tomorrow I will go in, even if I have to do it in wellies!
So, this week's aims so far:

1) Have draft of conference paper to show to sup on Thursday. I realise I've been banging on about this for ages but the 16th is D-Day so I really must have this done!! : I am sending this tomorrow; if I can get it sent in the morning I might even get it back before the weekend which would be very handy. Means getting up early tomorrow but as I've lolled about all day, surely I can do this?!
2) Meet with others to discuss conference grant on Wednesday. Have list of hotels prepared beforehand, and some ideas for timeline. Turns out this is next week anyway. Good, but the fact I've got 2 training courses and a conference to attend next week underlines the importance of getting article done tomorrow!
3) Have read 'Kim'. Will finish this tonight.
4) Have transferred all dates into the lovely diary my flatmate bought me for xmas
DONE- one at least!
5) Have finished 'Troilus and Criseyde'. Will have to do this tomorrow afternoon/evening.

Hope everyone is doing well.