A MFT Therapist's Garden

[Dissertation Diary] July 7, 2008--- Day 80

I was planning to go back to my usual routine, exercise and study. However, I had problem sleeping last night and couldn’t get up early enough this morning. So, I had to skip the exercise.

Then, while I prepared to write my literature review on early childhood, I started to check my Endnotes, to try to find more new articles, and review here and there.

So, it’s 12:40pm. And, finally, I realized my pattern again. So, after reading three articles this morning, I’ve decided to call it a quit. What I need now is not more articles to defeat myself. What I need is to take a good look into what I’ve read so far and outline what I want to write based on what I’ve read. So, hopefully, I can get this section done today and read some more for middle childhood and adolescence.

******

[Dissertation Diary] July 5 & July 6--- Day 82 & 81

July 5:

I got up in the morning and made myself a Japanese style Honey Cake. While the cake is baking, I finished 10 minutes of interview transcribing. Then, I went “shopping”! I know. It’s very stupid. However, I just cannot resist the idea of sale on cookware. I desperately needed a frying pan. The whole morning was gone. By the time I started working. It was 3pm in the afternoon.

So, I did finished the first interview at 8:30pm last night (7/5).

[Dissertation Diary] July 4, 2008---Day 83

I feel very upbeat after a break from last night. So, I am ready to take a serious study today.

Goal:

1. Finish coding before 12pm.

2. Finish transcribing one individual interview by 8pm.

******

[Dissertation Diary] June 30, July 1, 2, & 3--- Day 87-84

Wow, it’s July…..no………I am getting really nervous.

It’s been a while before I can keep up with my diary. I got a call last Friday from a couple for my research. So, this week, my whole schedule was kind of messed up because of that. However, I am very happy that I finally met my minimum criteria for my data collection.

[Dissertation Diary] 0628 & 0629 08 --- Day 89-88

June 28:

I was able to get to the library on time and finished reading four articles by the end of the day. I am still struggling how to write this section and sometimes ended up being distracted by searching articles constantly. Not a good sign. It is always easier to search and print the articles. However, the important thing was to read, summarize, and write up so it relevant to my topic. I have to remember this.

June 29: got up early but ended spending time talking to my families and cooked. By the time I was ready to start my work, it was 11am already. Finished reading four articles as usual and needed to get some more articles. I am setting up to morrow as the last day of literature review for the early childhood section. By the end of tomorrow night, I want to write up this section. If I continue to read, there is no way I can finish this section.

[Dissertation Diary] 062708 --- Day 90

10:30am: This is a crazy morning. First of all, I wasn’t able to get up on time. My rashes were bothering me in the past few days and I wasn’t able to sleep at all last night. After getting up, I decided to still went to exercise. So, my morning routine was delayed for an hours.

Then, I got the final couple for my dissertation research this morning! Yeah! I am so happy. Two weeks from next Monday, I will be able to finish all the data collection! So, I am pretty happy about this.

Then, I also spent sometime talking to my sister online. And, in the meantime, while I am studying, I am making a loaf of bread for my breakfast for the next few days. So, I guess that I will never get out of this house on Friday.

Goal: finish one coding (before 2pm) & finish reading 3 articles.

I decided to stay at home because I can make bread at the same time. So, I better push myself to concentrate today. Otherwise, I will feel bad again.

******