The cure for task switching fatigue
Oh, hi friends!
Are you also a victim of extreme task switching?
On any given day, I might pop around doing research, writing an article, writing this newsletter, editing, making phone calls, invoicing. The topics might range from Brooklyn businesses to travel advice to new song lyrics to fixing play structure. It's...not pretty.
But yesterday my editor friend Cindy mentioned that she’s a big fan of grouping tasks. She would often interview multiple people in one day, then spend the next day transcribing, and the following day writing.
I feel like this approach could solve some of those brain-toggling issues. I’ve already tried to corral my meetings into Fridays, but what will happen if I have a 100% brainstorming day? A 100% pilot-writing day? A 100% administrative tasks day?
Your job might not allow for such extreme mono-tasking, but it’s worth a shot.
Similar tasks. Until you're done. Then move on. I’m about to try it right now.
“I think it’s important to remember that what you put out in the world is what brings work back to you, and brings responses to you, and brings opportunities to you. If you’re consistently putting something out in the world that isn’t what you really want to be doing, it’s going to take you on a path that isn’t right. It’s going to make you feel like you have somebody else’s life. I think the hardest thing, the biggest challenge, is being able to protect that. To protect yourself from those external ideas of what constitutes success.”
This quote hit me in the face. Not in the good way. But, learning! We're always learning. From this great Creative Independent interview with artist Toni Dove.
Artist and TED Fellow Candy Chang turned an abandoned house into a giant chalkboard asking a fill-in-the-blank question: "Before I die I want to ___." Six minutes worth watching. Perhaps try to answer the question yourself.
PS — The women-only co-working space The Wing opened a gorgeous new space in Brooklyn yesterday. I got a sneak peek for The Bridge–check out my preview! (Their library is gorgeous.)
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Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara