longway74, you sound like me!!

i too did not work on my thesis, alot longer than 6 months, almost a year or so, but instead worked on papers or procrastinated ALOT ! kept avoiding my thesis all the time. until i got a letter from the uni that said submit your thesis or die! okay it didnt really say that. but said that i must submit by sept or i will fail.

i too had barely done anything and admitted to my supervisor, that i haven't done much and its all rough drafts, but give me some time to pull it all together.

i must congratulate you in wanting to do something about it. and admitting to it. you are definately not alone! alot of phd writers go through the same thing!! so don't beat yourself up about it. what's in the past is in the past, today is all that matters!! and you will be suprised how much work you can accomplish when you put your mind to it.

"whereever you are, it is the place to start, the effort to expend TODAY DOES make a difference!"

i once had a friend who said that she worked 12 hours everyday for 3 months on her thesis.

i find it hard to achieve that 12 hours every single day thing she did. even when i glue myself to the chair all day, i still can't work productively for 12 hours. the most i think is probably on average 6 hours or so. i guess we all work differently. i am certainly not a robot.

*clocking out*

accomplished:

finished 2nd draft version of results section of chapter 5.

today wrote: 1867 words:
and i can't remember how many figures and tables i did lol.

that's me out for the day.

glued myself to the chair today and managed to get about 7 hours done.

I am so thankful for you guys and this forum, I don't know what I would have done without the support!!! Thanks everyone

and if you dont manage to meet a deadline you set yourself, than that is okay too. just get back on the horse and make a more realistic deadline.

like a month ago, i told myself to have a full first draft of 6 chapters by 7th of july. now i realise it was unrealistic. but that doesnt mean i didnt get anything done. i did as much as i could. and just means that once the 7th of july deadline has come and gone, i will still be carrying on working on the thesis..

I realised something today, at the end of the day, you are writing the disseration for yourself and the examiner. you're the boss, if you don't reach a deadline set by your supervisor, too bad! as long as you know in your own heart that you did your best and you worked as hard as you could, that is all that matters..

that's what any of us can do really, try out best and work as hard as we can. as long as we work on our thesis every day, no matter what we produce, it's the working on it everyday, is what this A team is all about!

okay i am clocking out for the day. did about 7 hours i think. it's nearly 1am.

I have finished my 2nd draft version of chapter 5: results section. hurrah!

the results are still in abit of a weird order, so tommorow i will bring in the architect and judge and transfer it to final draft version. and maybe add a few more results sections.

so tommorow aim is to finalise the results section and transfer it to final version.

i am no longer pushing myself with unrealistic goals like telling myself to complete a chapter in one day!

i am being more realistic now and I feel better about it. Joan Bolker is right! about setting realistic goals and actually ATTAINING them instead of setting unrealistic goals and then feeling crappy when you don't attend them.

see you guys tommorow!

oh dear Jojo, poor you. sounds like you haven't been well. I better spend some time outdoors aswell! i have been cooped up inside for a month!

phd is not worth your health. health is the most important thing.

hope you feel better soon!! and have a good time in Africa.

K_Hopwood, I want to thank YOU for your message, it was inspiring for me! as i was having a little pity party a little while ago.

but instead, i am using it to motivate me. i am going for "the sprint" method. and work extra hard these next few days and then take friday evening off and go to this lecture i want to go (unrelated to my phd).

as JB says, rewards are important !!

haha i am glad you like the egg timer, i do it all the time! it always makes me jump when it goes off as its so loud lol.

i am setting it now for 30minutes. to get back to writing.

good luck with your 15minutes

JB says about missing a deadline, that just to get right back on the horse, and not to cry over spilt milk so to speak.

she also speaks about how its VERY important to reward yourself, for working hard and meeting deadlines!!

what JB has to say about this

"the deadlines you set for yourself need to be very very generous ones, if you think it will take you two weeks to finish the next chapter, give yourself three. if you finish early, you'll feel particularly fine. most important is that you finish the chapter and give yourself cause for celebration rather than dissapointment"

"set up deadlines so they involve rewards, not punishments. do not set them up so that you have to be super human to meet them. perhaps you can work nonstop for a few days, but no one can sustain that sort of effort over the long haul"

"as you begin your experiment, set very easy goals. every one that you meet will empower you, so that you can make the next hurdle a bit more strenous. this is the way to turn "i think i can" into "i know i can".

okay feeling better now.
one of my friends text me and said that i should take a break and shouldn't feel guilty.

so i am doing what I want to do. and what i think is best. i know myself better than anyone else.

so i am going to glue myself to my chair for the next 3 days and get as much done, then take friday evening off.

that is more productive. then me sitting here feeling depressed and thinking that i missing out and not doing anything productive.

so now i feel geared up and motivated to work extra hard these few days. as JB says, work towards a reward it will motivate you

so feeling better now!

i'm resenting my thesis right now.

i wanted to go to this philosophy lecture this friday. and it was acting like motivation for me to work extra hard this week, so that i can take friday evening off. i was really looking forward to it..

but a family friend just emailed me and laid the guilt trip on me saying i shouldnt go and i ought to be working on the thesis. and that i have to email my sups the first draft by monday.

but it was acting like motivation. and now i feel too guilty to go but at the same time, resenting my thesis !!!!

and now i just feel depressed.

i know i sound like a spoilt brat.

K Hopwood, its good you decluttered your life and sorted out money issues. sometimes these things have to be done, so your mind is clear and now you can concentrate on your thesis. so don't feel guilty.

Well done Celesmai for completing chapter 1!! that is fantastic!! you just started a few days ago, way to go!!

and 2 other aims done aswell. you are on a roll!!