I am also panicking a bit today because I have so many different things to be doing and don't feel like I have enough time for them all. And these are grant applications, marking and a journal paper and I've not even had time to consider the actual thesis.

I have written a draft of half of the summary section for my grant application. I'm feeling a bit stuck with it so my next goal is to bang out a draft of the ethics section which I will do before lunch.

Button- I'm also starting a diet of sorts today. I am feeling so plump after Christmas :(
Sneaks- I hear you on trying not to get panicked about the amount of work to do. But we will both get there!

I am feeling so worn out today. Why do I always come back from holidays feeling more tired than when I started?

Anyway, my first goal today is to start on my grant application. Argh.

Sounds like its not worth the effort, especially if you've been doing a lot of marking recently. Are you able to email back and say that you can't do it? As I'm doing my PhD full time and am wary of taking too much extra stuff on, that is definately what I'd be doing.

150 papers? Oh dear... will you get paid for it?

8 papers done. I went out for a huge lunch and had a glass of wine so the last few were a struggle so that is really going to have to do! Now I am going to relax and make sure I'm ready to work hard tomorrow because I have so much to do over the next few weeks.

Morning!

I am still in holiday mode as my other half is now back from his trip to America and I find it much more difficult to work on bank holidays, weekends etc when he is here and is not working and reminding me that its a public holiday!

I am going to ease myself in with marking today. I'll be really pleased if I get 10 papers done.

I did my marking, hooray! I am now going to go and be sociable and prepare for more people arriving tonight.

Good luck Ady!

I didn't have time to move onto my marking. I now have to leave for the gym as it's closed until 4th of Jan after today. I am going to make sure I mark 3 papers this afternoon. I know I won't feel like it (brother in law and my other half are likely to start boozing over lunch) so I am making myself accountable by promising to post on here after I have done it!

Morning everyone. I hope everyone is settling back in OK! I've been doing a lot of marking the last couple of days which I find it really easy just to dip into which has helped me get back into things.

I only have a couple of hours this morning as brother in law is coming over for lunch. My goals are to read an article my supervisor sent me and to mark one or two papers. I will also try and mark a couple after lunch but may end up hanging out with my brother in law drinking mulled wine and watching movies, so we'll see!

I now have a good draft of my introduction and method section. I did a chunk of this before Christmas so it was largely a case of editing.

The matter of the word count has been resolved so after lunch I will move onto the analysis section.

Good luck with the marking, I hope the dog doesn't distract you too much!

I have totally failed with my first goal. I basically have a huge analysis section from my thesis to edit down and sat down and started plying around with it before realising I'm not sure on the actual required word count. I have texted a friend who submitted a paper to the same journal to find out whether the word limit includes data extracts or not because it will make a huge difference.

No point cutting stuff out of the analysis until I'm clear on that, so I am going to work on the introduction section and try to get this finished instead.

Is anyone joining me today? It is my first day back and I am so annoyed at myself for sleeping in. My other half flies back from America tomorrow and we have people staying for New Year so I have about a million things to do on top of work. I'll try not to think about it and focus on one thing at a time...

My first goal is to sort out a really good draft of one analysis section for my paper.

Oh, I hope you manage to get everything done that you need to by Christmas day!

Right, I now have a quite a good draft of my literature bits. I'm going to leave it for now and mark 3 papers.

Morning all. My first goal today is to actually manage to get dressed and then to get a draft of the introduction for my journal paper finished.

Goal done. And the applications are not quite as scary as I was expecting. Next I am going to have a snack and a cup of tea and try and get some more of my introduction written.