Here's the issue: I like my life right now, and I don't like my life when I'm working on the thesis. Why would I want to ruin my life?
When I decided to write a thesis, I looked at all the senior thesis-writers around me. I thought to myself "Most of these people are miserable. They are doing real academic work on a subject of their own choosing, so they should be happy. When I do my thesis, I won't be one of them. I will relish the opportunity to engage in original thought under the guidance of my truly wonderful adviser." Obviously, this didn't work. It should have worked. What stopped it from working?
I've certainly blamed my unproductivity on my inability to keep a reasonable sleep schedule. I've probably used a lot of scapegoats, but the actual culprit is anxiety. Anxiety stopped my plan from working. I used to think that I was good at handling anxiety. In fact, I am just good at anxiety avoidance. I am the type of person who can sleep soundly at night, even if the paper due at noon the next day doesn't have a coherent point, and is only half as long as it should be. In fact, I am the kind of person who can oversleep in this situation. If I wake up too late, I'll just sigh, and turn the paper in late. In general, I can get away with this without too much harm. Obviously, though, it won't work on the thesis.
Anyway, it seems I need a routine. So I'm getting one. Starting...now!
