To focus or not to focus

That is the question.

I just spoke with my supervisor and was assured by the following advice:

1) It's good to have multiple game plan, so take note of the few key focus and go out to explore them all in the field and then just write on one of the focus in the end.

2) It's ok to change topic totally after field work. Be flexible, work around the fieldwork data.

3) No need to survey all 100 farms. Get a few key subjects

4) It's normal to feel you haven't gotten a handle on the literature. But read more!

5) What is your niche? A fertile ground? publish them all! Just use one for master and the rest is free for all.

6) Don't get brainwashed by all the research proposal. There is a real game plan beneath all the administrative bureaucratic talk and proposals.

7) Write your analysis first and conceptualize later. What you go in with now is just a hurdle to overcome. Get to the real crunch.

8) If I don't get A, I can do B. But if A is so good, I can forget all about the rest. Don't even need to do those, can pack up early and come home! w00t!

9) But if A, B and C all don't work I can just do Z. It's ok.

10) All these ideas for narrower focus, keep them. Collect a few. Collect them all! (Pokemon!) During presentation just say that you have a few game plan because you're doing the smart thing. When you write, just write the one you really want to write. No need to write the whole extensive system. Impossible.

I'm a happier camper now.