All those doing a PhD will have come across the same issue around time. In order to advance your PhD you need to set aside blocks of time because without three to four hours of unbroken time, your brain doesn't get a chance to really hone in.
That has been the argument I have used with myself and colleagues, and everyone nods their head in agreement. Work tasks, emails etc can be done in the gaps but the PhD is special. Right?
I looked at my diary for the week, and now I have picked up a lot more work (great for the bank balance), I have meetings dotted throughout and I thought, shit how am I going to advance the PhD without having to work in the wee small hours. Then I challenged myself about the time issue and thought why can't I do focussed one hour sessions. Tiger Woods (for all his faults) said sometimes his best practice sessions are after only twenty swings and he happily calls it a day.
So yesterday I tried it and it worked. A one hour session, focussed and I got heaps done and at the end it felt great. I broke the mental block that I had built and had been made concrete through all those conversations.
I encourage you to give it a go. Don't write that hour off at the end of the day, take a deep breath and dive in like you had eight hours free in front of you.
As a CEO I worked with once said, 'it's often a mindset change that is required...
That has been the argument I have used with myself and colleagues, and everyone nods their head in agreement. Work tasks, emails etc can be done in the gaps but the PhD is special. Right?
I looked at my diary for the week, and now I have picked up a lot more work (great for the bank balance), I have meetings dotted throughout and I thought, shit how am I going to advance the PhD without having to work in the wee small hours. Then I challenged myself about the time issue and thought why can't I do focussed one hour sessions. Tiger Woods (for all his faults) said sometimes his best practice sessions are after only twenty swings and he happily calls it a day.
So yesterday I tried it and it worked. A one hour session, focussed and I got heaps done and at the end it felt great. I broke the mental block that I had built and had been made concrete through all those conversations.
I encourage you to give it a go. Don't write that hour off at the end of the day, take a deep breath and dive in like you had eight hours free in front of you.
As a CEO I worked with once said, 'it's often a mindset change that is required...
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