Journal for the History of Astronomy & Work plans

I am surprised by just how many articles I have referenced out of the Journal for the History of Astronomy - 12 pages of my "working bibliography". I am currently estimating that I have maybe collected around 750 articles over the past few months. Clearly a large proportion of these will not get read in the near future. So I do need to spend some time prioritizing my study.

How to turn the working bibligraphies into a coherant plan? Basically, I have four or five goals at the moment, and it is unclear how they fit together.

Firstly, I need to do enough work to enable me to pass the exams I choose to take in May. But I do have flexibility in this and can defer those that I'm not prepared for. However, the only really possible PhD model that I have in my mind at the moment relies on me doing two of the MSc exams this year - to bolster a January 2010 application to start in October 2010.

Secondly, there is the question of the possible conference in March. I will hear in mid-January whether my paper has been accepted. Though that still gives me two months to produce it, I do feel that some of my current work should be focused at least a little on this possibility.

Thirdly, I need to keep progressing my dissertation, though I could do this on the same topic I was planning to speak on at the Conference.

Fourthly, my PhD dream relies on showing that I really do have something to contribute and that, for me, suggests that I need to publish a couple of articles in proper journals (prior to applying)

Fifth, I obviously want to enjoy the day-to-day work I am doing

And finally, I have to consider the impact of going back to work. This has tended to mean that I currently work as hard as I can, on the basis that I won't be able to do much when I am working again. This has resulted in my fitness levels suffering and my weight increasing. So I need to do something about this as well.

Problems, problems . . . .