There is always some approach that works well for each one of us when we are into doing our research process. You need to find what works best for you. However, before actually you discover the most appropriate approach for yourself, you need to find a way to plan your research schedule. That is very important.
How do you go about planning your research schedule? There are some basics that you can take care of:
1. Firstly, chose something to write that interests you to the level that you feel passionate about it. If you do that the subsequent challenges would become manageable as you always remain interested to discover what is in store next for you.
2. There may be many demands on your time and planning your time is very essential. This is only possible when you are organised and planned in such a way that your priorities lie in the right place.
3. Amongst all the prioritizing you do and understanding that there are other things around you that are of importance, ensure that each week you put aside time, consistently, that is exclusively for research. No other demands should impinge on this time. No matter what.
4. Jot down what you have targeted for yourself and as you keep accomplishing your tasks, keep striking them off. This is a very good motivator and at the same time a reality check onto your progress.
5. The best way to plan your research is to plan it in chunks. The chunks could be either in days, weeks or months and sometimes even in years. You must have a clear idea about what you aspire in these designated chunks and work towards it with complete focus.
6. It is better to not think beyond a year when it comes to research objectives. The dynamism around sometimes makes long term plans obsolete or not functional anymore.
7. A person who is successful in achieving his research objectives is someone who is strategic about every bit of research time available to him. One should know the best use of time and the tentative required span of time for each activity. Some cognitive tasks take longer to accomplish and more time needs to be given to them while easy and less time intensive tasks can easily be fit into smaller time periods. If you are strategic in planning this, you schedule can give you very successful and productive results.