In a recent post Rachel made the point that, for her, 'One Task a Day is Enough'. Obviously when Rachel talks about 'one task' she is talking about something that is consuming of time and energy both physical and mental.
Unlike many people I know and admire I have never been single-minded in anything. Eleven years ago (I really can't believe that it's that far in the past) I wrote a post about ARADD (Age Related Attention Deficit Disorder) with a very amusing video. It was entitled 'Just a Thought'. Only one of my regular commenters today commented then so it may be worth a wee look although many of you will, I'm sure, have seen the video.
My latest visitor, Anna, has returned home after ten days here when we spent most of our time socialising, walking (when Storm Babet let us) and generally having an enjoyable and relaxing time and we got some gardening done too. Unlike many of my readers once I'm engrossed in looking after guests, I can't usually find time to blog and may only read blogs without commenting.
So this morning was a day for catching up with laundry, ironing and housework and so on with a wee excursion at coffee time into Blogland.
This afternoon I'm doing my stint in the Old Shop, Bayble. I've never blogged about it so I'll do that shortly. It's very quiet and very cold!
I've spent a lot of this evening on the telephone.
I was going to say that I have no idea how some of you fill your days with so much and still blog. But many of you are organised of mind and body and it is obvious from the fact that you can build a house or do a day's work at the office, feed the family etc etc and still keep us all up to date that you can concentrate properly on things as you go and thus achieve many things in a day.
I struggle to think and chew gum simultaneously. No. I'm not being self-deprecating nor modest. I am just someone who knows my abilities and limitations and lives with them. I have other strengths but concentrating on one thing at a time is not one of them.
As a result this simple post has been written over a period of 14 hours.
Anyway be happy and, above all, wake up tomorrow.
Everyone's soul moves at their own pace. Balancing our lives depends on the amount of weight the soul cares to carry.
ReplyDeleteThat's profound, Maywyn.
DeleteYour simple post has some very salt of the earth observations. Yes, some of aren't organized like others. In my case not organized at all. It would be interesting to see how bloggers operate.
ReplyDeleteRed, I'm fascinated and impressed by the ability some have.
DeleteMy brain runs along at a terrible clip. I write in my head. When I sit down at the computer, my brains run down my fingers.
ReplyDeleteDebby, I wish that I had a brain like that. My brain plods and analyses far too much - probably as a result of having to make sure working in government (ie legal and political) situations that every word was incapable of being misconstrued or, conversely, being capable of meaning many things.
DeleteThe secret must be, to be well organised. My wife and I share duties and perform them almost without thinking, at certain times of the day. We don't have a lot of time left over.
ReplyDeleteCro, in some things I am organised to the point of the intense irritation of others such as punctuality but when it comes to trying to concentrate on one thing at a time I am completely incapable.
DeleteAs you know from my blog, often work "gets in the way", and after a holiday it takes me weeks or even months to catch up with posting what I want to post.
ReplyDeleteMy usual morning routine consists, among other things such as coffee and a shower, reading blogs while having that first coffee or, such as today, later when I am ready for my muesli.
Most of the time, if I don't blog in the morning, I won't start after work; by then, my eyes have been staring at computer screens for too many hours to want any more. That's about how organised I am when it comes to blogging, and like you, when I have guests (such as O.K. staying for the weekend), we do plenty of other things and I might only read the blogs on my reading list and comment on a few.
Meike, with work and your weekends your life is, of necessity, organised and, from what I know of you over the years we've known each other, that suits you and your personality very well.
DeleteYou are a strange mix Graham, in the nicest possible way, as illustrated in your reply to Cro. I would never have thought you find it difficult to concentrate on one thing at a time. I can only do one major task or adventure in a day but I can multi-task throughout the day with small things and it is rare for a day to go by when I don't get a few moments to write a quick blog post and comment on others. I admit my blog posts are rarely, if ever, well thought out but something usually springs from my fingers to share with others. I am organised and stick to a routine amongst all my spontaneity.
ReplyDeleteRachel, I would love to be able to say that your last sentence applied to me. I am very organised in that I have lists and routines (the garden birds get fed - first priority each morning) but the problem is that I rarely stick to them because I allow myself to get sidetracked all the time. I am, however, NEVER late for appointments or meetings.
DeleteFourteen hours for one post means it doesn't have typos (like mine), spelling errors (like mine), awful grammar (like mine) and excellent sentence construction (unlike mine). I was thinking about how much I used to achieve when I was working and don't now that I am retired.
ReplyDeleteI really need a ARADD diagnosis to explain stuffs that I forget or don't do. It's a perfect cop out.
Yes, Andrew, a throwback from writing legal and suchlike documents.
DeleteAha, now I can tell people that I have ARADD and am not just a batty old woman.
ReplyDeleteJayCee, I assume from that that you enjoyed the video.
DeleteMy wife can do several things at once - badly (ok I'm not being original). I only do one thing at a time and even find it hard to have the radio or music on if doing something else. I have speeds - dead slow and stop.
ReplyDeleteTasker, I can't listen to speech on the radio whilst doing anything else which involves any concentration at all.
DeleteI am looking forward to reading about the Old Shop at Bayble and your work there - that's if you have nothing else to focus upon that day!
ReplyDeleteYP, I think it may well interest you.
DeleteI multi-task but my husband can't. Maybe it's a common difference between men and women. 14 hours for one post doesn't seem excessive. I have 2 or 3 on the go most of the time.
ReplyDeleteJabblog, my posts are not usually of the complexity of your posts.
DeleteI have thought about this, and I am still not quite sure how to categorize myself. Mostly, I would come down on the side of being able to focus on one task quite well, especially if it’s something I enjoy. I would imagine that advancing years influences this behaviour, but I am not quite sure how, and to what extent. It probably happens so slowly one hardly notices. Better go and do the dishes now and focus on that!
ReplyDeleteDavid, reading your posts I get the impression that you have a good memory and an organised mind and that shows in your excellent posts.
DeleteI got a chuckle out of that video, Graham. The days fly by and I am not as productive or efficient as I would like to be but I'm getting used to not caring about that.
ReplyDeleteEllen, I'm getting better at being chilled about things but sometimes the non-diminishing lit gets to me a bit.
DeleteI remember that video, and revisiting it now still makes me laugh (from recognition). How once in a distant past I ever managed to work full time and still have a social life as well, is a great mystery to me now. Nowadays I aim to keep my calendar as empty as possible, and definitely no more than "one task a day" involving a specific day/time/place/other people. Blogging I suppose "sort of" involves other people - but that never goes in my calendar, but is something I fit in when I feel up to it. (And usually even just writing a comment like this takes way longer than I intended, because my thoughts wander...)
ReplyDeleteMonica, I think that you and I have a lot in common.
DeleteIts almost like talking on the actual telephone has become something now lost, people have their own cellphones. I hate answering phone calls on mine, I'd rather people text me. But I do miss having one telephone in the house and everyone running to answer it. Its like cellphones seem to take up so much of our time now.
ReplyDeleteAmy, you've hit the nail on the head regarding telephones. I no longer use my house phone except in rare circumstances. The main reason is that all my calls are included in my cellphone contract and it is always with me to receive calls.
DeleteI tend to compose a post in my head then type it out and press publish without proof reading. Then over the next hours or days I fix the things I don't like.
ReplyDeleteIf I can't publish in one sitting, the post will probably never be written.
I'd get a lot more done if I wasn't so often distracted by social media. It's hardly uplifting but somehow I still have a compulsion to interact with it
Kylie, social media has a lot to answer for. I don't post on social media very much but I do look at the local FB pages to see what is happening. I cannot remember when I last looked at Twitter or Instagram or TiKTok although I am 'on' them. Must go and have a peek at some time.
DeleteGraham, no excuses are necessary, as you well know, for not blogging or commenting, while enjoying time with your friend, Anna. We just returned from a 16-day trip and while I did try to read blogs, there was no time for commenting or posting. Like yourself, I am amazed by those who can do so many things in a day whereas I can only concentrate on a couple at most and now that we're home, laundry and house chores take priority.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that. Beatrice. Oddly I had intended today to spend time in Blogland but catching up with the washing and housework and sorting various things out combined with the fact that in 20 minutes I'm going out to dinner has meant that I haven't got around to it. However, having just got changed and poured myself a wee drink whilst waiting for my lift I thought this was a good opportunity to reply. Cheers.
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