I keep losing track of what was decided and what comes next
Give decisions, actions and waiting-for items one home each.
In short
Start here, today. Open your last three sets of meeting notes or emails with your supervisor. Copy every decision into the Decision Log and every unanswered request into the Waiting-For list. This takes about 30 minutes.
After that, work through these steps. Choose one to jump to it.
Step by step
Tick each step as you finish it. Open a step for the how.
0 of 4 steps done
Log decisions with reasons
Whenever something changes your questions, design, analysis, structure or timeline, write it down with the date, the reason and who was involved.
Track what you're waiting on
Add an item the moment you send a request. Give it a follow-up date.
Close the loop after meetings
Within 24 hours of each meeting, send a short summary email of decisions and actions. It confirms you understood and creates a record.
Review once a week
During your weekly plan, check the Waiting-For list and send any follow-ups that are due.
Words you can use
Is this you? Signs to look for
- You can't remember why you made a choice about your method months ago.
- You leave supervisor meetings with good intentions and forget half of it by Friday.
- Things you asked for weeks ago never arrived, and you didn't notice.
Why this happens
A PhD produces hundreds of small decisions and agreements over several years, often spread across emails, meetings and notebooks. Memory isn't built for that. When the record is scattered, settled questions get reopened and promised actions disappear.
You don't need a complicated system. You need one place for each kind of thing: tasks, decisions and items you're waiting on.
Worth a look (3)
- Shut Up & Write!Free writing sessions, online and in person in over 80 countries, where you write quietly alongside others for a set time. It's a gentle push when you keep putting off your thesis.
- FocusmateBook a short video session with another person, say what you'll work on, then work quietly side by side. The free plan gives you three sessions a week.
- Time managementVitae's guide to managing research time, with simple techniques like logging your hours, separating urgent from important, and working back from deadlines.
When to bring someone in
If decisions in your project are frequently reversed or unclear, raise it gently with your supervisor and suggest the summary email as a shared habit. It protects both of you.
Find the right person, or talk to Ify