December slump

Last week I posted my ambitious list of goals for the month.  Since I claimed that post was meant to provide accountability, I will now give an update on my progress.

1. Submit a commentary piece based on the meeting we hosted.  It's written, but I'm waiting for feedback from two coauthors.  I expect them to make few comments, so with any luck this will go out early next week.

2. Turn around the manuscript that was rejected over the summer.  Working on it.  I did all the easy changes, but I'm having trouble getting my A into G to tackle the harder ones (e.g. rearranging the discussion).

3. Draft manuscript for special issue paper.  Started today.  I put the text from my thesis chapter into a new document, formatted it to meet the journal requirements, and generally refamiliarized myself with the work.  I also made a first pass over the new data.

4. Work with PI to revise big manuscript.  Done!  He's waiting on feedback from a couple of people but intends to submit (to a GlamorMag) on Monday.  Unfortunately, I think we'll start pretty much straight away on reformatting/revising for a more attainable journal.  Good practice, of course, but I'm so sick of this paper right now!

5. Establish protocol for sample processing.  Part 1 is done.  Part 2 is drafted, and PI and I have discussed it but a few kinks remain.  I think one more (focused) discussion and one practice session ought to take care of it.

6. Finalize protocol for lab experiment.  All I've done so far is gather up all the stuff I had spread in multiple labs and move it to a new lab space I'll be using for this project.  I hereby downgrade my goal for this item to get shit organized and make a plan for developing protocol in January.

I could have done more in the past week, but my predictable December slump is in full swing.  When I feel all blah like this, I'm happy to get anything done at all even if I'm not functioning in high gear. Like, I'll suddenly realize I've been sitting at my desk for an hour just spacing out/making sure the Internet doesn't disappear/looking at colleagues' publishing records/whatever. Thus, although I intended to finished and submit the first manuscript before I started on the second, the edits on the first seemed too hard and I figured I should get something done even if the order of tasks didn't make the best sense.  I know that if I just chip away at things and leave work each day a little further ahead than when I arrived, it will all get done.