One hundred weeks

After a meeting with the Graduate Studies Coordinator last week, I was really feeling the pressure to make sure I graduate on time.  This is particularly stressful because my research has not produced anything other than learning experiences and character building.  During the meeting, I realized that I needed to have my research completed and to have produced several manuscripts by December 2012.  I knew that was my timeline all along, but I had not stepped back to think about what all that implied.

In trying to find a way to mentally process this pressure without having a productivity-debilitating anxiety attack, I realized that that date is approximately one hundred weeks away.  One hundred is kind of a big, vague number though, so I thought about Andrew's school's schedule.  His students take one subject every ten weeks, called a phase.  In that time, the students learn about and achieve a proficiency in one culinary subject.  So, I decided to divide my 100 weeks in to ten 10-week phases.  The way I figure it, I can run one experiment, set up for another experiment, and begin writing up the first one in each 10 week phase.  If I can pull that off (or something even close to it), I will be a very successful Ph.D. candidate and will be on track for an on-time graduation that will reflect a high level of productivity.

So that's the plan.  One hundred weeks to success.  This is Week One, Phase One and already I have felt more in control and been productive.  I plan to blog about the project along the way, to keep some pressure on myself for a little public accountability.  Wish me luck!