Week in review: 31 August-6 September

This week I certain got work done; including a talk at a meeting in Auckland, working with students in our lab, plenty of PGSA business and finally my own research.  I never skimped on hours and I even squeeze in an extra six hours today.  However, I don't feel as if I reproduced the productivity as last week.  There's definitely something to working "under the gun."  My big question is how can I push myself the same way external pressures get me to perform? I have a big talk in Germany next month and if that's not enough the countdown to thesis submission is ticking along.  I must find a strategy to focus my work and continuously yield results.