Busy days. I might have taken on too many things. I’m not experiencing much stress, but am beginning to recognize that I won’t be able to do everything over a singular period of time. I will have to approach these different projects sequentially. That is not such an easy thing.<\/p>\n
The reason why completing distinct project types in sequence isn’t such an easy thing is because it’s hard to focus on one with full intensity while knowing that there are other things of equal value and interest that are delayed because of what’s at hand. It can feel easier to work on multiple things at once. I think it’s because when a sudden compulsion arises, it’s possible to take a shallow dive into one of the other projects, get pieces done, and then shift to the next one that comes to mind. That blast of anxiety at what’s not getting done on one project can be addressed immediately. Solved. So why not just do it that way?<\/p>\n
Overall the process is less healthy. What happens when you spread yourself out over a few different and distinct projects at once is that you operate reactively. When the compulsion comes, you work on that part. While working on that part, the compulsion comes to\u00a0hurriedly\u00a0fix that other thing on that other project, which you then do, which feels nice. Until the realization that the other thing was interrupted and needs to now be restarted. The overall result is that you end up working in response to anxious realizations at what’s not getting done. You jump from impulse to impulse, stressor to stressor, defeating them all as they arise, but somehow never finding periods where they cease to arise. What happens is that you end up being micromanaged by your own sudden\u00a0remembrances\u00a0and compulsions.<\/p>\n
Working in sequence is rational and self-directed. It’s not easy as pie, because you do think about the list of things ahead, but you’re also not jumping around nervously between things and living reactively. You’re in control: you made a decision about what to prioritize and what the timeline for each project should be, and as you progress through them, you end up with completed work<\/em>, not mere mini completions of a persistent work in progress.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Busy days. I might have taken on too many things. I’m not experiencing much stress, but am beginning to recognize that I won’t be able to do everything over a singular period of time. I will have to approach these … Continue reading