And best of all, it's closely tied in to my dissertation topic, so my work towards it will be immediately constructive.
Speaking of talks - I ran into the coordinator of the Early Modern Discussion group yesterday and asked her a few questions about the fifteenth century. When she found out I was working on a subject which extended that late, she asked if I might like to give a talk for the group this year. I think I would. That'd be another good, constructive deadline to work towards.