I'm finding the deeper I dig into my project, the more overwhelmed I get. My Refworks is brimming with articles waiting to be read, but somehow, that makes me avoid it. I think I'm having difficulty in really nailing down what aspect of music I want to study, and there seems to be so much research that I don't know where to start! It makes me just want to curl up in a corner and do nothing - which isn't very productive.
I think my next step needs to be looking at this project in tiny little steps. Today, I read an article and annotate it. Tomorrow, I do another one. Maybe the next day, I'll go a little crazy and do two. Perhaps in that way, I can ease myself into this project instead of trying to take on the whole thing at once. My style of writing is very stream-of-consciousness style, so writing research is a bit of a writing block for me. This is going to be a challenge. I especially hate rewriting and editing - so sticking with one paper for a year could potentially kill me. (Sorry, felt the need to be a little dramatic there.)
So, goal for tomorrow: one article.
Rachelle,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that it helps to break up the work into smaller, attainable goals with regular deadlines. I am trying to do the same.
In terms of narrowing your topic, perhaps one way to do it would be to really reflect on what it is YOU love about music. What drew you to the topic in the first place and why? Did you experience a type of music integration as a student that you really connected with? Or is there a practice you want to put in place as an instructor? I think reflecting deeply on the roots of your interest in this topic and your personal connection to music might help lead you in the right direction (even if this is a different route than you expected to take).
Hope this helps!
Alissa