I've been trying to stay very task focused lately, further efforts at maintaining some sort of momentum during this season of hibernation and generalized malaise. But I move in circles, looping around the apartment not getting much done at all. My goal yesterday was to finish up my book proposal. I got it all prepped and ready to finish — but didn't actually finish it. It also took me three hours to sweep the bedroom and take out the trash, because I'm so distractable that on my way to fetch the broom I find myself making a pot of tea and shuffling piles of stuff around in the living room.
I try to give myself permission to have days like this ("It's ok to spend three hours burning two CDs"), but I still get frustrated with myself. How many times can I check my email before realizing that oh look: I still haven't taken out the trash? Nor do I have any new email.
I have a near constant internal dialog going with myself about what I should be doing at any given moment. I'm really good at figuring out what needs to be done — not so good at the execution. I guess this makes me a natural manager. But it mostly just makes me feel distracted, ineffectual, and incompetent.
This, my friends, is why I don't have a television. It's hard enough for me to get anything done with my computer screen around. Adding another screen to the house would probably result in me forgetting how to urinate or tie my shoes.
Comments on "Taskmaster"
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leblanc
December 27th, 2004 · 2:12 PM · #
i share your affliction; it usually takes me a whole saturday to clean my house b/c of rifling through piles of papers and stoppign to read magazines before i recycle them, etc.
a friend of mine with a similiar issue had the best thing on his cell phone: he changed the text on the screen from "ATT WIRELESS" or whatever it said to "STAY FOCUSED". i asked him if it had any effect so far, and he said no, not really, but at least he's continually reminded.
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esther
December 27th, 2004 · 3:24 PM · #
I have the same problem. List-making and forcibly doing stuff until I've crossed things out helps, until I've made too many lists down to lists-of-lists-I-need-to-make.
It doesn't help that everything seems complicated these days. . . to cross one thing off the list takes 3 actions concerning going to the store or other people's houses, contacting so-and-so to find out such-and-such, etc.
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Jessica
December 27th, 2004 · 10:56 PM · #
I hear you! I just wrote a entire entry in my journal about the same thing!
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Vera
December 28th, 2004 · 8:36 AM · #
You know what I really want to do? Organize my closet by color. Yes. It's on my list.
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Katherine
December 28th, 2004 · 8:38 AM · #
oh my god – I am doing this even as I type this . . . I am getting nothing done! And still won't! Not even after reading this! Tis the season to be a sloth . . . and I have so much I need to get done . . . if you find some get up and go would you please email me some? PS – its cold as a mutha here in NY and the warmies are getting a workout – and I still owe you a pic of me in them . . . yet another thing my inner sloth won't do . . .
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