I am trying hard now, I promise

And yes, I will try to update this more. Just keep prodding me and I will remember all my thoughts for once rather than just ingesting them like a good red wine... great at the time but just a nasty taste in your mouth in the morning.

Conflicts of Interest? Doubt it.

Last night I was nominated on to the committee of a voluntary 'arts' organisation - surely a sign that I am assimilating in to London Society, albeit a society largely made up of New Zealanders, but I digress...

In the process of me becoming the treasurer of said organisation, I had to leave the room as the rest of the group discussed me. Of course, I eavesdropped for a while to make sure the guy who nominated me made me sound good, which he did (thumbs up to that man!) but then I heard the dreaded words of I'm sure any executive or politician. CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

You see, this voluntary organisation has close links with a business that, to those uninitiated, looks to be largely the same as this voluntary organisation. Who I happen to work for. And so, for the next 20 minutes, the group discussed basically whether this is a huge issue.

Now, let me make this clear. I may be a joker, and I certainly like my drinking and good times, but I am also a professional. And so someone telling me that my job is going to be an issue for a voluntary position is an insult. Yes, I see the conflict of interest of the Mayor of Wellington's husband being a property developer. And yes, I can see why those who didn't listen to my explanation of my role in the business may have seen a problem, but pahleeeze.

If I care enough about a voluntary group to dedicate what I know will be many hours of brain drumming number crunching, coupled with blood sweat and tears, why would I not keep this seperate from my normal everyday work?

Okay okay I am sure other people do take a few things in their stride there, but hey. I'm a pro. Or at least in serious training to be one. And I thought that if anything, this would be an asset, not a hindrance.

The lines are dead.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I work well under pressure AKA leaves things until the last minute and pulls something out of the bag. While I don't generally resort to all-nighters, I am partial to keeping on the study roll until about 3.30am, at which point I have a brain relaxing shower and hop in to bed for an average of about 4 hours. So this dissertation thing is a little worrying. I mean, only one deadline, and it is in January?! Good lord.

So I decided to make myself some deadlines.
Number of deadlines passed as of today: 6
Number of deadlines met: 1.5
Woops.

I did ask my supervisor to metaphorically whip my arse if I didn't meet these, but he is probably the nicest, fluffy pussycat like academic I've met, who I also think might be a bit worried about the legal implications of whipping a student, not to mention what his wife woudl think. So I've been trying to find other ways of putting the pressure on...

1) Organise to do case studies before I've got everything sorted in preparation.
Nothing like the threat of looking like a dick in front of potential employers.

2) Put an aspirational abstract entry in to a research student conference.
If the conference is in November, surely that will make me work?!

3) If I don't get a piece of work done, get my Uncle to sell my Rugby World Cup tickets.
The devastating effects of missing a deadline would simply be too much, this one could actually work. But then, I think that is a little too much at stake, don't you?

So there we have it. Deadlines need a bit of threatening behind them if they are to work.

But in other news, I did have a meeting with my supervisor on Friday, and after I told him how I could never do a PhD because I don't get anything done, he revealed I've done the most work out of all his students. So maybe I don't need to worry too much about deadlines after all??? This is dangerous ground...