Boundaries and Boxes

Working on a thesis has a number of different components - research, writing, and editing being some of the most obvious. Alongside all the other minor jobs and chores that you can accumulate as a postgrad, it can be hard to keep different tasks sorted into different boxes, and to keep the boundaries between them in terms of working time intact. 

Having had my contract for the Not-Quite-Day Job (NQDJ) extended over summer - the NQDJ involves some unit administration, curriculum development, and community/business liason work that is supposed to take up one day per week but often takes more than that - I am trying to be firmer with my boundary setting. Wednesdays will be the NQDJ day; Thursdays thesis writing at home away from the internet, coffee shop and other distractions; and the other days will be subdivided. I don't really expect this to work - my natural mode is to have a few things going on at once, to cater to a short attention span - but by at least having a theoretical framework in place it might help to keep the boxes from getting all jumbled up together.