John Mierau (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} johnmierau) wrote,@ 2008-05-30 10:07:00 |
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Thoreau had it easy, or, Lookin' for organizing tricks.
You remember Henry David? The gent who went to the woods so he could live deliberately? Being conscious about your choices is even harder in the ADD, digital world we've been wired into. So, what do you do to stay on top of it?
The latest good news from my neck of the woods: my 'work-from-home' contract looks to have been extended until at least September. That's VERY good news because I have no idea how family men and women get anything done when they mix in commute and office time to the mix. I'm busy as hades as it is.
One thing about being busy, is you try your damndest to prioritize, organize, not panic as you see things you meant to do race by in the rearview. Now combine this with impressionable young 'uns imitating your every move adoringly, and you find there's a new weight to your desire to juggle all those things in your life more efficiently. This is a hard thing. For me. I'm making a 'weighty pronouncement' when I say that, and I'm sure there are some folks out there who drop nothing, never break a sweat, and look good doing all the things that come easily to them.
I very much hope these people spontaneously combust.
While I struggle to bury my jealousy of the uber-organized, and join their ranks, I find myself trying two things: tossing away guilty pleasures I can no longer afford.... and taking more breaks. Yes, breaks: stretch breaks, twenty-pushup-breaks and thinking breaks. Short ones, to shuffle piles and identify where I'm heading in the next hour, next day, before the next deadline at work or for pickin' up chillin's from daycare.
And the other thing I'm doing to keep as many tasks in motion as possible is organization. That doesn't mean a new system for tasks, or a shinier calendar: it's the hard choice to STICK to what you say. That's the only secret to every great human accomplishment, but it's a hard one to master, and to keep mastering on down the road.
So I have one list with what needs doing, and one alarm reminding me to switch it up, stretch or clear my head every 45. And the minimalist approach seems to be working.
You remember Henry David? The gent who went to the woods so he could live deliberately? Being conscious about your choices is even harder in the ADD, digital world we've been wired into. So, what do you do to stay on top of it?
The latest good news from my neck of the woods: my 'work-from-home' contract looks to have been extended until at least September. That's VERY good news because I have no idea how family men and women get anything done when they mix in commute and office time to the mix. I'm busy as hades as it is.
One thing about being busy, is you try your damndest to prioritize, organize, not panic as you see things you meant to do race by in the rearview. Now combine this with impressionable young 'uns imitating your every move adoringly, and you find there's a new weight to your desire to juggle all those things in your life more efficiently. This is a hard thing. For me. I'm making a 'weighty pronouncement' when I say that, and I'm sure there are some folks out there who drop nothing, never break a sweat, and look good doing all the things that come easily to them.
I very much hope these people spontaneously combust.
While I struggle to bury my jealousy of the uber-organized, and join their ranks, I find myself trying two things: tossing away guilty pleasures I can no longer afford.... and taking more breaks. Yes, breaks: stretch breaks, twenty-pushup-breaks and thinking breaks. Short ones, to shuffle piles and identify where I'm heading in the next hour, next day, before the next deadline at work or for pickin' up chillin's from daycare.
And the other thing I'm doing to keep as many tasks in motion as possible is organization. That doesn't mean a new system for tasks, or a shinier calendar: it's the hard choice to STICK to what you say. That's the only secret to every great human accomplishment, but it's a hard one to master, and to keep mastering on down the road.
So I have one list with what needs doing, and one alarm reminding me to switch it up, stretch or clear my head every 45. And the minimalist approach seems to be working.
