Gearing up, changing contexts

[Chris Lott]

Context switching is something we all deal with and, ideally,
minimize. The worst switch for me is the one I have to make between
mundane daily life activities and periods of intense "work" at
something specific... whether that work be at the office, or writing a
poem, or even intensely reading and researching.

What techniques do you use to "get in the zone" and flip that switch
so you know it's time to get to work? Do you have rituals? Habitual
actions? Having a place that is devoted to work and not really used
for anything else is nice, but a luxury I don't really have... but
beyond that there must be ways to help aid the switch and get down to
getting things done...

c
--
Chris Lott

[Dennis During]

Is the problem with 'deciding' to work or in the period immediately following the decision?

 

Having the factory whistle blow is a good way to eliminate the need to 'decide' to start work.  A fixed starting time can put pressure on you to get some of your mundane items done more quickly and help make them part of a ritual that leads you to starting work.  Something simple like this would eliminate the need to even determine whether your particular problem arose at the point of decision or the point of beginning to execute.

 

 

--
Dennis C. During
http://PersonalProductivityScience.blogspot.com/

[Chris Lott]

I'm talking about 'optional' work and about getting into "the groove"
(for lack of a better term). Making the mental switch that it's time
to get to it... the physical act of sitting down to work is simple,
but changing gears-- whether from recreation to work or just from one
kind of work to the other is what I'm looking at. Finding time,
sitting to do it-- those aren't issues.

c

--
Chris Lott

[Mike Brown]

My typical method (when I think about doing it, so let's say 'intended method') is to do 10 breaths of meditative breathing at my workstation or desk. Sit, hands in lap, close eyes, breathe slowly in and out, count 1 to myself, breathe in and out, count 2, etc. If I lose the count or find my mind thinking of something else, bring it back to listening to the breath and counting.  (Or, start the count over from 1 if you feel you won't be stared at.) The goal is to shed the thoughts and worries of the previous task(s) from your mind so you're starting clean now.

This is the mental equivalent of an actor shaking out their arms and legs to rid themselves of the leftover emotions from previous scenes and characters.

Another thing might be to write yourself an email telling yourself what you intend to do, how you intend to go about it, how long you think it'll take, etc as a way to get your mind into your task. You can send yourself the email or delete it; doesn't matter; the purpose of all this stuff is to create a ritual you can use to transition yourself from one state to another.

Let us know how you solved this dilemma for yourself.

meb

[Dennis During]

On 8/31/07, Chris Lott <chris...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm talking about 'optional' work and about getting into "the groove"
(for lack of a better term). Making the mental switch that it's time
to get to it... the physical act of sitting down to work is simple,
but changing gears-- whether from recreation to work or just from one
kind of work to the other is what I'm looking at. Finding time,
sitting to do it-- those aren't issues.

 

 

What is it that you do instead of what you want to do? 

 

Sometimes I sit at my computer to do something and end up doing something very different, often too embarassing to mention.  Is that the problem ?  For me the worst cases of the problem are when the work that I should do is just not very intrinsically motivating.  I need to remind myself of the goal and any good reason for doing it NOW.

[Chris Lott]

One way I do it now is technological in nature. For creative writing
sessions, which are the ones I find the hardest to get into after a
long day of tech and education oriented work, I have a particular,
"clean screen" profile that starts up with my text editor in my face
and not much else. I use that profile-- and that editor, in fact-- for
nothing else.

c

[Chris Lott]

On 8/31/07, Dennis During <dcdu...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> What is it that you do instead of what you want to do?

Doodle. Do nothing. Stare into space. Decide to read a book. Try to
shake off the remnants of the other kind of work I just finished
doing. For instance-- after a long day of ed and tech work it is hard
to get into the mindset to do creative work. I've found that some
people have routines, habits, etc. that they use to help them so that
they have a way to get into the right mindset as consistently and
easily as possible. This really isn't meant to be a complex question--
some people recite a mantra, some people literally put on a
particular hat, some people have a dedicated workspace... I was just
curious what other people do.

> Sometimes I sit at my computer to do something and end up doing something
> very different, often too embarassing to mention. Is that the problem ?
> For me the worst cases of the problem are when the work that I should do is
> just not very intrinsically motivating. I need to remind myself of the goal
> and any good reason for doing it NOW.

I'm not as interested in motivation as I am in speeding up the process
between switching contexts so that I can more easily change from
activity to the other and spend more of the valuable time getting
something done.

c

[WastedDesigns]

What seems to work pretty well for me is that I have "contextualized"
the different sorts of work that I do as much as possible. I am a
student in a creative field who is fortunate enough to have studio
space both at home and school. I have made these two spaces for studio
work only (not to check e-mail, RSS feeds, web, etc..). Now, when I
enter those two spaces, I almost immediately switch to creative mode.
Being on one of the largest university campuses in my area, there is
also no shortage of WiFi connections, so I have certain places that I
go to get things done (write papers, do reviews, etc...) and other
places that I go to "just check in" (RSS, e-mail, etc...). In fact, I
gather that the two places have very different perspectives of me.
While I see familiar faces at both locations, the ones I see at the
time too g.t.d. hotspot think that I am very serious and productive as
I am always working on something requiring focus, while the people at
the other place feel free to approach me with chatting and see me as a
person with free time and a willingness to hear an interesting story
at a moments notice. They probably see me as a bit of a slacker too,
but that it ok, cause I only go there when I can be in "slacker
mode."

I know several other people that have this sort of thing going on at
various scales. For me it is about physical locations like this coffee-
shop or that one. For some I know though, it is as simple as a
specific desk or chair or medium that puts them to action. My one
friend is a diehard fan of a particular brand and color of sketchbook.
This is because that particular book is psychologically linked to his
journaling. When he holds it, the emotions and thoughts just flow.

One other variation on this is a set time that things happen. I use
this approach with reading. I have found that I have the most
attention and retention when I read first thing in the morning (5:30
am). After about 3 months of altering my routine to accommodate this,
I now wake at 5:30 ready to learn something from a book, no more
sleepy eyes.

Hope this is some help or insight that proves useful.

[Dennis During]

In addition to the motivational effects, I think what you say about contexts and human faces must connect to how folks remember what to do (when and where), especially items of secondary importance, when they operate without hPDAs, planner books, PDAs, computers, or administrative assistants.  Places (sights, sounds, smells) and people (faces, voices) are great memory triggers, as are rituals that involve physical movement.  The natural rituals that develop may be more powerful that those that we attempt to introduce into our lives.

 

 

http://PersonalProductivityScience.blogspot.com/