After about two weeks of blissful ignorance of the world and concentration on Main Current Research, I find myself dispersed again. I have started working on several different things again, and also been doing a series of boring admin tasks. As a consequence of that, I find it difficult to make good progress and to focus properly on anything. However, before departing for a two weeks holiday (woohoo!) next Friday I have to:
-layout, comment, and send intermediate results of Main Current Research to Senior Famous Collaborator;
-meet foreign colleagues and set up new study;
-put together some last data on vague previous collaboration;
-arrange for summer exams data and communicate them to students.
Hope nothing else falls on my plate until then…
How I miss the time when I could just focus on a limited number of tasks, and when other things to do where a welcome distraction from daily routine. I really need to adapt to constantly switching my brain on and off things; I think I also need to organise research in larger chunks of one same task or topic. The means overcoming the frustration of seeing things temporarily grinding to a halt. But for later better progress…
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4 comments:
I have that same problem about switching between projects. I'm still trying to figure out how to organize my research time better. It become particularly complicated when you get to the point in one project where you have to commit three full days in a row to do a particular experiment.
Yes, some things just cannot be done in slices. On the other hand, remembering what was last done is always a challenge to me.
I am so having this problem right now! So many things on my plate I can't make progress at any of them. I have been trying to adapt to switching between things but that doesn't seem to work; if you figure out any tricks please share!
As I mentionned at A Lady Scientist, something that has worked for me is to make a rough plan for the day, but with individual, discrete tasks (ring that person; run that process;...) and also one specific that I know I will start the day with. That helps me get on track in the morning, reach objectives, albeit small ones, and keep on track. Good luck!
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