I’m averaging about once a week with this posting business. I keep vowing to myself to get better about it, but, so far, no dice. On the plus side this means that I’ve been better about managing my time in the lab. On the minus side, I’m going to have to resort to catching up RBOC style.
- Omnifocus = love. I got this program a while back, but just started using it a lot and it’s helped keep me, well, focused. Plus it’s kept me from panicking at the sheer volume of stuff I have to do to graduate.
- I’m trying to write my Intro for my dissertation. Mostly because I don’t think I’ll have a lot of time to write at the end and this section shouldn’t change very much in the next year. However, I’m having a heck of a time finding time to sit down and read/write. Especially after my long working days. I’m open to suggestions.
- My plan of not working too many long days in a row is out the window right now. But just temporarily. I need to have more data to present to my committee in November. So, it’s the mad dash to get it.
- But I’m taking off the entire weekend two weekends from now. I’m going to City near HomeTown to run a 13k. Well, I’m using the term run rather loosely. My training hasn’t gone so well. The oppressive heat around here hasn’t been helping.
- I’m trying to be very zen about this graduation/experiment business. I’m trying to live in the present and just think about my next immediate step/experiment. It’s working out well as far as the keeping-me-from-freaking-out side of things, but not so well in the I-need-to-start-thinking-about-looking-for-a-post-doc side of things. Deep breaths also help.
Good luck getting the data for your meeting. It sucks to be in the rush of it but I'm sure you'll be amazed at how much you will have done after your meeting!
Is there anyone around that you can do a writing date with? I found that that really got me on task and ended up being super productive.
Good luck with the 13k too!
I'll have to look into the Omni-focus thing. As for the intro, maybe you could just stream-of-consciousness scribble out some stuuf, and put it together after you have some loosely written blocks. Maybe you could even start some of it RBOC style – on the blog draft form, or on your favorite word program.
One RB doesn't take that long, plus it just might start things going.
What is this Omnifocus? How do you get one? What does it do exactly? I could use something like this…
I have found that the Methodology part was the easiest chapter to write, so I started with that. My confidence (and needless to say, self esteem as well) increased as I saw the increasing number of pages that made up my Methodology chapter, and that was how I thought "OK, this isn't too hard."
All the best to you!
Good luck, yo.
good luck!
WOW! 13k??? I hope all works out for the intro. I usually save it for last, but you are right. Shouldn't change much.
I hope all works out for you.
You are right, though. Deep breaths.
I had a friend who suggested working in multi-chapter chunks at a time. In other words, decide that you will work on chapters 1-2, that way if you get stuck on 1, you can do some writing on two that will allow you to germinate thoughts about 1, and when you get stuck, you can come back to 2. This worked very well for me.
For me, I just had to take 3 days and slowly hash out and intro. And then I had to step away for a few weeks (perfect time to continue research/data collection), and then I went back and read it, and went "ugh!" and fixed it….repeat 3 times and I had a nice smooth intro.
Hope you find something that works for you!