Spring cleaning

Ah Spring, how I love thee! The smell of flowers, the warmth of the sun, the displays of reproductive prowess in animals of all kinds.... and then to be stuck in an office. To address this issue, I've been dragging out some journal articles and highlighters to find an excuse to sit guilty-free on the grass outside. My excuse is that I need to brush-up on what I call "old knowledge" - the things that you should know, and did know, but have forgotten as they fell in line behind all the other things you should know. I'm calling it my "mental spring cleaning", dusting off old knowledge and putting it, nice and fresh, back where it belongs.

I've been working on fixing up my files of data (so that I can run better models) while I wait (still!) for equipment that I need to run my selection experiments with Drosophila serrata. It's been a long and tedious process, and I still have plenty data to go through. I keep telling myself that no matter what, I can only improve the quality of my research through repeatedly re-doing it. The only problem is pushing through the boredom and the lack of motivation. I always complain about it, but writing is not so bad, and I look forward to getting back to the stage I was at a few months ago where I was writing. My motivation at this point is derived from small self-rewards for reaching a "mini-goal", rewards such as a can of coke, or a walk through a park. My first mini-goal for today was to make a list of mini-goals. Check. I got a can of coke. I am winning!