I was in the middle of a writing project when I realized I wasn’t about to finish what I was supposed to finish on time. And that was because my mind was wandering. For some reason, my sense of focus was off, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t bring the words to freely flow.
I decided to stop what I was doing and dissect the situation. Whatever was wrong? Why wasn’t I performing to my expectations?
Image credit: Michal Marcol | FreeDigitalPhotos.net
And here are two realizations that hit me in no time.
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My to-do list isn’t helping.
Problem: If anything, the list I created before I decided to start working for the day was thwarting my creativity. It was a huge list, and even my can-do mentality was screaming, “Seriously?” Given that I haven’t been able to properly write the week prior, I thought to write down everything I should have finished but haven’t gotten around to accomplishing.
Bad move, that one. Because the list was long, my mind went frozen solid. The ticking of the computer clock was keeping my brain cells on edge as well.
Solution: I decided to forget about the list and do whatever it is that I can, and not force myself to do an all-nighter just to tick everything off in the list. I am not Supergirl. Deadlines be damned! (These are self-imposed deadlines anyway.)
Note to self: Just like breakfast, remember to never skip a daily writing task. Never mind that you don’t get to finish the task at the end of the day. What’s more important is that you start it. As has been learned from experience, finishing a task the following day is easier than forcing a run to the finish line when the brain is protesting.
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My time management skills are not improving.
Problem: Time management has always been my weakest link. The reason I’m swamped with tasks and not performing the way I hope to in my full-time job is because of my inability to properly manage my time. Add in social media and my irritating tendency to login to check e-mails several times a day into the mix, and it becomes one heck of a time management circus for me.
Solution: We only have 24 hours in a day, and given the myriad of things most people are inclined to do on any given day, especially in this time and age, 24 hours is sometimes not enough. But given the time management tools that have been peppering the Internet for free for a while now, my inability to improve in the time management proficiency arena is definitely because of me still not finding the right tool that best fits my personality.
Note to self: Reinstall the Pomodoro Chrome plug-in while still on the lookout for some other free time management app.
Final word
- Writer’s block happens.
It’s real, and can be disheartening for some. Getting to the heart of the matter, i.e., analyzing the root cause, helps put things back on track.
- Writing something different from what you’re supposed to be writing can sometimes replenish your creativity well.
If there’s anything good resulting from my mind wandering several minutes back, it’s this article. Indeed, sometimes, if the mind goes a-wandering, it doesn’t hurt to let it roam free, as it might come up with something just as important – like a blog post in this case.
Hi Cel,
My mother used to say that our greatest ally while we are still walking on this planet is… time. That’s the intent behind the word lifetime – life and time – they go together as partners until we cease to breath.
Unsuitably, many of us fail to capitalize on their partnership. Either we go with life without respect for time, or we spend so much time without regards to what is important in life.
I used to be a fan of Time Management, but again, as you said not many people improve their skill in applying it (I’m no exception :))
The word ‘lifetime’ has both the words ‘life’ and ‘time’ in it, but life is written first.
So I tend to believe that if we manage our life first, managing our time is an auto result.
I would then go for Life Management anytime.
I like the way you wrote ‘Deadlines be damned!’.
(I keep smiling when I read it)
You’re not alone in this. Deadlines are such nerve wrecking ingredients in our daily lives.
But I won’t worry about the nitty gritty details of our hourly or daily activities.
As long as we keep ourselves focus on the bigger pictures (the grandeur of our goals in the future), then our ride and journey to the path we choose will be enjoyable.
/Ron/
Ron recently posted…‘KAYA NATIN’ and ATTY ARNEL CASANOVA
Thank you for visiting, Ron. Your comment is such a ray of light to my otherwise frantic existence because of those darn deadlines.
One thing I do enjoy every time you visit and leave a footprint, your comments add value to the post – much more value than the post itself. You see, I’ve been struggling with time management for the longest time. I’ve read a good number of articles about concentration, about channeling all of one’s efforts at one given task at any one time to produce more results. And you’re right, my desire to get more done in less time has led me to forget some of the things that matter more – the ability to say “no” in this case.
I especially enjoyed “life + time” and the “life management” strategy. Great lesson from your mom!
Maricel recently posted…Should I Quit My Job or Stay?