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...