Does anyone else postpone doing something requiring major concentration for a time when they know that there is absolutely no chance of interruption? Right now for example, the kids are happily entertained in the living room and I could potentially get some of the reading I need to get done accomplished. However, the mere possibility of interruption is enough to make me want to wait until they are all in bed, or, Ryun arrives home and can "handle" the kids. I hate having to do things in "chunks." I would rather sit here in to the wee hours reading and writing, then have to start, stop, start stop etc. It's because of this mentality that I often wish for an entire day just to do everything that needs doing without any possibility of outside distraction at all. Of course, my own ability to "distract myself" probably wouldn't help my cause but the likelihood of getting things done would still be greater than they would otherwise.
It would also help if I could stop looking at the big picture (I need to do this, this and this, oh and when I am done this, and don't forget about that, and aren't there about a million books I want to read too?) and just focus on this minute, right now and what I can accomplish within it.
Because if I really think about it? Ten minutes now to get something done is better than no time at all, and perhaps better than ten minutes at midnight, when any sane person would be in bed.
Yes. I will simply not begin things, or if interrupted, abandon them and never go back. In my case it's not not something obvious like programming. It's anything writing, creative, or that involves focus and sort of loading the whole thing in your head to the exclusion of all else for a while. It doesn't help that I'll not only drop what I was trying to do, or not start it, but also I will promptly forget it was ever on my agenda. Sometimes period. Sometimes for days, weeks, or months.
ReplyDeleteReading is not generally one of those things, though it is if it's technical. If it's entertaining, it's annoying to be interrupted, maybe even hard to interrupt because I can be that intent, but it's also not so likely to raise my ire or make me not want to start.
Some physical activities are a weird mix, in which the focus thing is there, if not theoretically required or normal, but stopping is perhaps not an option. I've had trouble not cutting myself, for instance, peeling and cutting veggies, because when I do it, it's what I'm doing, and conversation, not so much. Because I'm not going to give up on what I'm doing, but it makes it feel harder, I tend to feel trapped in that situation.
I do have times during cooking when for me it's as much a creative exercise as if I were writing or coding or whatever, and I simply can't do both that and pay attention to anything else. Compared to some things, that's fleeting. It can be as odd, brief and specific as not being able to taste the food I am checking the flavor of because someone is yelling, or talking to me, or whatever. I tend to feel way more crowded than I should when working in the kitchen, but at least I'll start cooking, I'll not walk away to speak of if I get flustered, and I'll keep pushing on through, even if I am ready to throw things by the time I'm done.
I am amazed by people who can stay on something through interruptions.
I'm also quite good at work that is inherently nonstop interruptions all day, which is what being a TDL at Stream was, usually. I thrived on the drive-by "help me Obi-Wan" questions the team would walk up to me with, and the quick bursts of research fitting into the framework of micro-solutions. Managing a software project is an instance of combining them, having the whole project and process and plan in your head, but more long-term, while putting out fires and keeping the people focused and aided through their parts, helping them grasp where it all fits and so forth.
Or something like that. In any event, I couldn't relate more to the type of thing your saying.