- Write while you research: every week write at least one paragraph.
- Save versions and use a reference manager (Zotero).
- Share progress with your supervisor, even in “half-done” stage.
- Design reusable figures and tables with consistent style.
- Draft a prototype index and document structure.
Block Two
January – April
Block 2
Developing Your Research
Iterate: research and write in parallel, showing visible progress each week.
Manage frustration, stay consistent, avoid procrastination.
To always keep in mind
“Science does not advance in giant leaps, but in small and consistent steps.”
Practical exercises
- Mindful Pomodoro: work 25 min + 5 min break, but during the break do something physical (stretching, walking, drinking water), not looking at screens.
- Brief achievement diary: each day write down three micro-achievements (e.g., found a key article, wrote half a page, clarified a doubt). Reinforces sense of progress.
- Error reframing: when a mistake or block arises, write: “This means I am learning…” and complete it with the positive gain from the error.
- Skeleton of the manuscript with sections and subsections.
- Figures with captions and cross-references.
- Methodological decisions log: (this is a living document where you note, throughout the thesis, which technical decisions you make and why, what alternatives you considered, and how they may affect the results. It also helps you quickly draft the Methods and Limitations section, confidently answer “why did you choose X and not Y?” in the defense, and maintain traceability and reproducibility (for yourself, your supervisor, and to prepare the defense).