no need for extra pressure!
I think my mistake is setting exceptionally high targets for myself. They indeed overwhelm and demotivate from even starting the writing. Frederic, a fellow research student from Hamburg, Germany, suggested setting them low so that one can have a sense of accomplishment and feel good about achieving something and making progress. I of course am not talking about setting low targets and having an attitude of just passing. It's about helping myself progress with my work and getting out of that anxiety trap. I guess overall, I should rather be trying to stick to the values of conducting an ethical research - being decent, trustworthy, reliable, etc. That includes being thorough. So if I rather focus on that and just carry on methodically doing my work, it will be better? Perhaps. I just find those timeframes and number of words per day off-putting and making me more anxious.