its going okay. thanks for asking.

i've decided to start waking up early in the morning, and no more working through the night, and going to bed at 5am. i've been doing that past week or so, and yesterday i felt physically yuck, i felt sick, and couldnt function at all yesterday.. so i've decided to start waking up early in the morning instead and going to bed by midnight.

my brother gave me some really encouraging advice to wake up around 5am, and how your brain is the most alert at that time. and work during the morning and take regular breaks during the day...

he told me to get a routine going. and give myself a one month deadline, so say to myself i only have one month to complete my thesis in full, and then have one month as a safety net to tidy up any loose ends.

i like this morning routine. working on your thesis FIRST before anything else.

I'm going to try to wake up earlier tommorow. i feel much better now, that i have done *something*

clocking out for a mid- day break, having lunch with the family.

1. aim 1 done
2. can't print, ran out of ink.
3. not finished: but organised the data- will finish the analysis later on today. shouldn't take too long now.
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time clocked in @ my desk: 11.30 - 13.30
total actual "productive time" : 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes).
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ps what a lovely day today! i feel like going for a quick bike ride in the park before family lunch. might just sneak off for abit hehe

Good luck with tidying up day today TG. sounds like you are on a roll!
and definately go treat yourself to the new batman movie, you deserve it. and yes i've heard its REALLY good. I am going to treat myself to watch it too, on the day i have to go meet my sup, sooo dreading it, but gotta get it done, and then after i will go watch the film to treat myself lol.
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My immediate aim before lunch:

1. R cluster analysis pt 6, pt 14, check cluster analysis of pt 1-16
2. print out cluster analysis
3. global R cluster analysis

awwww Thanks so much Tractogirl, you put a smile on my face!! I really appreciate everything you said

I love what you said about how this week is a fresh new week. okay cool, lets go for a sprint and see how much we can get done this week.

that's really nice you got to spend sometime in the sunshine with your bf. thats important.

and good you didnt push yourself too hard overnight because i always find when i do that, then i am useless the next day.

well i got up at 10.30am lol i set my alarm for 9am, but kept hitting snooze. but its a start, tommorow will try again for 9am/10am.
and got to my study desk at 11am. i am just about to start. get a few hours in, and then take a break for late lunch.

Thanks again TG, your words are always such a comfort to me you really are so great!

...."Go to bed! The only way to get writing done is to get ahead of the storm. Get to bed and then get up early, no matter how much you think you think you need sleep. Write. Write early in the morning.

Write before you hear other people in your building starting to rise. Write before your own kids are awake. Write before you hear car doors slamming or cars moving. Write before your mind starts to feel befuddled by the demands of whatever else is in your life.

Write when you are calm and when it is quiet."

http://successfulwritingtips.com/


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inspired by what Nancy has written, I am going to try this. I am going to go to bed early tonight and wake up in the morning.
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I am also going to rethink my plan and start afresh tommorow and make a weekly plan only. and not think beyond the week.

Morning Has Broken—Are You Writing?
July 14, 2008 by Nancy Whichard

"Get up early, no matter how much you think you think you need sleep, and write.

Writing a dissertation takes single-mindedness. It takes mental focus. It works best when you feel calm, when anxiety is low, stress is low, and you feel little or no ambivalence.

The space where we thought we would write completely disappears, as if swept away by a summer downpour.

And at the end of that day when time once again eluded us, this is what I know. When once again we have not met our goal and when once again we feel beaten down and knocked about, we certainly do not feel that we’re participating in a metaphor. We are not part of a fast-moving stream. We are slouching in a chair and self-medicating by eating, drinking, or watching TV.

We know we should go on to bed, but there we are– wondering where the time went."

"Varying the Routine

If you’ve been torturing yourself by pulling all-nighters, go to bed early and see if you are more productive in the morning. Some say that for every hour earlier that you turn in, you gain two hours in alertness the next day"

http://davidmaister.com/blog/18/Done-at-Last-Thoughts-on-Procrastination

{quote}

"~ Write out short attainable goals

Writing small monthly to weekly goals helps to see short-term accomplishments. Many times long-term goals look overwhelming and too far off. However, short-term goals are easily visible and rewards are sooner."


~ Focus on week at a time

Staying focused on one week's list of assignments at a time, and completing each task as if it were the last one, helps to stay highly motivated.

At times, looking at the entire list of course requirements can be overwhelming and a sense of, "I can't do this. I have no time," may envelope one's state of mind. Don't let this happen.

http://www.helium.com/items/796747-adult-education-how-to-stay-motivated
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anyways i could work for a couple of hours tonight. but not in the mood... and i've decided to change my work routine..

i'm going to go to bed early tonight. and start waking up early in the morning. i am beginnig to feel physically crap working or staying up until 5am and waking up at midday, i dont like it and feel guilty and i am finding i am not being productive at all..

i read on a blog just now, that i found inspiring to do just that..which i will copy paste for you guys :

but TG i am so proud of you! you go girl

i'm sorry to report, i didnt get anything done today. had abit of a stressful moment. which i wont bore you guys with. readers digest version, in a nutshell - people giving advice about sending harsh email to sup, i didn't want to, so instead wrote a polite email. and now said person is not happy about that. i know said person is only trying to help. but at the end of the day, i always believe that you should always do what you feel is right in your heart. and not follow advice blindly like a robot. anyways i sent another email to my sup today, asking him if i can meet just for a few minutes to get my forms signed.
but the point is, that people may advice, but they dont know the ins and outs, and i dont believe that sending harsh emails to supa - not matter if they have been rude to the student or uncoperative or negative, i am still the student, and i still have to be polite, as being "harsh" or abrupt - that will never warrant cooperation.

sounds like a good plan! its always wise to rethink deadlines and change them according, good luck with the sprint!

Tractorgirl, I totally understand how you feel! I am feeling that too.


no one outside the phd world understands the stress. some people make it sound like oh what you're going through is nothing compared to x y z. yah sure in the grande scheme of things it isn't and people have it far worse, but you still cant help feeling stressed and on the edge. if only we could control our feelings like a switch.

indeed! well said Olivia!!

that was a nice thing you did , im sure the speaker appreciated it