I often feel that I have so many goals, tasks and expectations for myself, that no matter what has occurred in the day, I feel a failure (inevitably, not everything goes to plan). I'm also still struggling to make progress on the dreaded thesis, so goals based on that, while extremely worthy, are not always confidence-inspiring. So I'm starting my own little success thread to boost my morale. If anyone wants to join, you can celebrate lifestyle, work, or just utterly random achievements from your day.

Ahem.

So far today I have *shoves out immediate negative thoughts of all the things she has NOT done*.....

*Got up at a reasonable time (you would not believe how much Ive slept recently)
*Meditated
*Eaten a healthy breakfast without guilt
*Researched something my hubbie asked me to
*Sorted and emailed my cv for next years placements

Hmm, it's not a thesis chapter, but put like that I don't feel quite so guilty.

I thought that your post was going to read "Today Has Not Been A Waste Because......It's Only 12".

Anyhows, so far I've walked the 3 miles into Uni, which seems like something pathetic (I used to walk two miles into (and then out of) school everyday for 5 years) but it's a new habit I'm trying to get into since my bus pass expired.

I've been to my industrial sponsors office, I've bought anniversary present, I've eaten lunch and played frisby with my dog. Hmm that has been quite wasteful actually.

Don't know how you can meditate Teek, I get restless after sitting still for about 10 seconds. I could probably 'meditate' with the tv on though.

What a great idea Teek.

So far today, i:

got into the office before 10am;
got hold of a paper i've been itching to get hold of (thanks to fellow Forumers);
got an email from a girly i like about plans for the weekend :$
written 250 words (and counting) of my thesis

oh, and it's sunny. i can't take credit for that, but i'm gonna!

Today has not been a waste today because ... I've turned up.

:-)

No no Slizor, I'm aiming even lower than that :p And I think a 3 mile walk to uni should be celebrated! Sadly I live considerably further from my uni, and while it is cycleable (on 13 miles of slightly hairy roads) the weather in this part of the country usually causes me to wimp out.

Sneaks - it took me a good while to "get" the meditation thing, and having just got back from a weeks buddhist retreat has no doubt helped a little! The most helpful thing I learned was that experiencing resistance (the fidgeting and distraction) was actually a part of the process, and the most effective meditation can be just to sit with that for a few minutes. *steps off soapbox and puts away robes*

Sim - that sounds like a masterful day, what a balance of phd and life :-) but you now have to spill about the girl.....

DoWhatNow, I think that's a comendable achievement for anyone. Workers of the world might raise an eyebrow, but only we know the steel it takes to show up when you're an unmonitored phd!

What a great idea for a thread!

So far today I have:
* got up early and started work at 8.30
* Restructured the paper I'm supposed to be writing
* Given a talk in a school for a voluntary project I help to run
* Bought nice salady food in the supermarket, and no chocolate!
Ummm.... That's it. So far, anyway!

I got up relatively early too and have been at work all day (I work as an RA in the dept) - I haven't done any thesis work today, but had a good chat with my sup (also my boss) and sat in on a sup meeting with an MA student to offer guidance as she's working in the same area as me, so that was helpful to see things from the other side.

Don't want to start a thread within a thread Teek, but...

she's in her 1st year, I'm in my 4th year, she's moving away for fieldwork soon, I'm moving away after i finish in 3 months.  She's great, i really like her, i think she likes me, but i don't know. I'd like to find a way to continue to see and get to know her, but I'm too afraid to tell her this because i don't know what she wants - what if she doesn't want to start anything with me? - and i don't want to scare her off or stop being friends with her.

...beans spilt all over the thread!

On the topic of the main thread.....I will now walk the three miles back home.

Hahaha! I managed to construct the exact same scenario in my head when I was moving away from my last city. But what you've done is you've tricked yourself with excuses for inaction - long-term prospects, friendship, some notion of being "fair" to her. In actual fact, this is the perfect time to just go for it. If you're both moving away, what are the long-term prospects of staying friends outside of being in a relationship? At worst you have three months of her not being your friend and being around you. At best, well I know a lot of people in long-distance relationships.

The most important thing is you don't know what she's up for......only one way to find out.

On a side note, I'm thinking of producing a Slizor motivational advice doll. Pull the string and it will repeat such phrases as "Go for it" or "Man up". I think maybe I'd purchase one for myself so I would actually end up taking my own advice.

go for it Sim, worst case scenario, she will be deeply flattered (up)

This is a great thread - we should all celebrate good things (even if they are only small).  Here's mine:

Although I spent three and a half hours in a degree classification board two of my students went up a classification (they were borderline) so I was really pleased

I redrafted a short piece outlining my research for a journal published in my uni (and which I can expand on for a piece for an international journal I have been asked to write an article for and which i was really struggling with)

I spent some time with my children (who are now tidying their bedrooms)

It's a lovely sunny day

My husband is back from his business trip (Ok so he came home yesterday but today was the first day for a few days I woke up next to him)

I had a facebook message from a PhD student in Australia who I met at a conference

today has not been a waste cos i got f***ing drunk.

cos i realise that that's the best thing ever

lucky sim.

lucky you.

:)

lucky gal.

lucky sim.

lucky you.

:)

lucky gal.