It's approaching 2:30pm. That's 2 hours earlier than I wrote yesterday's post. Yesterday's post hasn't been passed by the moderators yet as I only recently joined this site. But I'm ready to write another one already, I hope that won't blow anyone's mind! Partly - I can't reply to yesterday's as it's not posted - but partly I also want to write this one in a different tone.

I haven't magically broken through the impasse but I did get somewhere yesterday. Crucially my emails are under better control and my desk at home is tidier.

Today I've even gone a bit further... I'm out - at the British Library - and I'm not in fully concentrating mode but there are surely fewer distractions here. I'm not actually in a reading room because I needed a coffee - I'm on one of the desks outside. But I'll go in soon - at 3pm perhaps (I do like a round number) and will do something concerted (not internet) - some actual work for the PhD. Typey typey type (that's how it sounds in my head).

The big idea to help myself feel motivated and like everything is under control is:

1. Write a list of all the main things I'm working on - main sets of readings, half-brewed chapter ideas, proposals etc.

2. Then write a summary of all these things - a paragraph about each one. such that I can sit down and read these paragraphs - perhaps in the form of a table - and remember where I'm at each time I return to my study-work.

3. Then write an inventory - what are the main things I need for each thing - which books in the big pile of library books is for each thing - which section of those books, which photocopies - also which webpages/saved tabs/ also any infos such as application procedures/deadlines/dates that my supervisor needs things by.

This list, the paragraphs and the inventory, are what I plan to do today.

Does anyone want to check in here every day or at least every week day. I'm a part-time PhD student, about half way through, studying from home, and also self-employed mostly working from home too. I find it exceedingly difficult to have a productive day. It didn't used to be like this. I think I've gradually become quite isolated. This far into the PhD my normal friends have become uninterested in what's new with the PhD (short answer to that - not much). I'm also not really very well embedded into a student community, although I do go into university fairly regularly (once every week or two weeks).

It's my dream to wake up, write 750 words on 3pages.fr or whatever gimmicky 'get-me-started' self-diarising webpage/app I've most recently started depending on. Then by about 10am, feel my admin (aka all the millions of EMAILS) is done, my head is in the zone, and off I go writey-writey-write. then break in the afternoon to do a few hours of my self-employment work. Then couple of hours 5-7pm read through what I did in the morning, maybe note down some thoughts/edits for the next day's work. I think having an accountability buddy (or crowd) would get me started, keep me going, and give me someone to tell when I felt like I'd actually got somewhere.

Anyone else after the same thing? If so maybe reply below with what you're doing (or not doing) today. Today is the sort of day where it's got to 4:30pm and nothing is done. Really nothing. Okay here it is plain and simple:

What I've done today:
Run (half-heartedly)
Bath
Moved my laptop, radio, and various other bits and bobs from the table to the sofa to the table again
Had lunch
Texted some friends

Pledge for the next 3 hours:
1hr email admin
1hr self-employment work
1hr writing/reading