Diana suggests:
You’ve probably read all the data about how long it takes to get back onto a task once we turn to something else. You know… bathroom breaks… kitten videos… dramatic rescues of small animals from trees or drains… those things that we just HAVE to turn away from the real stuff for, only to return with our minds blank so that it takes times for us to get back into the swing of whatever we were doing.
Here’s my new policy. The interruption still happens (I’m a realist), but I am expecting that it will reduce the time it takes me to get back to the main task.
Before moving away from the task at hand, I bring up every screen that I am going to use for the next two or three actions on the list. There they are, staring at me, reminding me of what I was doing and what I intended to achieve before my brain hit pause. I don’t have to wonder what I was going to do, or where I was, because there it is.
Yes, even this post is included. I had the first line written before I turned away to eat dinner.
If you try it, please let me know if it works… or if it doesn’t. But even if it doesn’t, please be nice.
And if you like my work, I’d be SO delighted if you were to sign up for my irregular newsletter, “Work in Progress (because we all are).” The sign-up form is at the top of this page, on the right.
Diana
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