An idea...

[Harold Burrell]

I don't know about you, but the older I get the less I seem to get done. Yeah...I might be slowing down somewhat physically, but I don't think that is really the problem. It seems that I am just more easily "distracted" these days.

Sometimes I will be in the middle of doing something...and something else will catch my eye that needs to be done, so I'll work on that...until something else catches my eye and...

You get the idea.

Then there are the times when I will be in one room of the house...and remember something that needs to be done in another room in the house...and by the time I get there I've forgotten what I was doing.

*sigh*

Can anybody else relate???

Well...there is good news. I think I have found the cure...

Cold. Yep. Cold.

This morning it is -2F. I had a bunch of stuff that I needed to do outside. So I gathered everything that I needed by the door and I went at it. I did each task systematically, efficiently and QUICKLY. Not ONCE was I distracted. I was absolutely and totally FOCUSED. Not once did my mind even wander. And, not once, did my memory fail as to what I was doing. I got it all done...and in a fraction of the time that it would have taken me in summer.

So...here's my plan...tell me what you think...

I am going to shut off my furnace…and get an electric blanket or something so that only by bed is heated. That way I will schedule my day (while I'm in bed)…and then I will jump out…and do what needs to be done. If my theory is correct and this works, I will be totally focused and oh so very productive.

And then, when everything is done, I will return to my nice warm bed…and I will fall asleep with a smile on my face as I reflect on just how much I was able to accomplish.

Brilliant, I tell you.

I probably should figure out a way to copyright this idea, though.

I also need to figure out a way to talk my wife into it…

[Rich Engelhardt]

I,,er,,,,ahem,,what? Where was I?

Oh yeah, you mentioned having some sort of plan for not getting distracted & I was in the middle of reading that when the urge came over me to have a cup of Joe.

I went downstairs to make a cup, got diverted by the dog doing a "pee pee" dance wanting to go outside, and after letting him out, I came back to the computer to finish something I thought I started. I reached for that cup of tea with honey I thought I made & it's not there! Funny, I thought I wnet downstairs to make a cup of that. Or was it coffee...
Either way, there's something outside n the back yard howling like it's the end of the world. It sounds a bit like our dog does when we toss him out in sub zero weather.

Oh well - you say you have a plan of some kind? Great! I can't wait to read it!
I'll check it out right after I get a small glass of orange juice and find out what in the world is making that blood curdling sound in the back yard!

[bob svoboda]

If I had a nickel for every time I got distracted....oh look, ice cream...

[Mike Lassiter]

Not sure distracted is the reason. Possibly due to having too many things on your mind. I find I often work on this, but my mind is off thinking about something else that I need to figure out and am trying to multitask I guess and process that in another window in my mind. Cannot think and work like Windows on the computer sadly. I have many times over the years been working as a diesel mechanic and gone to the tool box to get "that wrench" - the one I have pictured in my mind is exactly the tool I need and upon getting to the tool box - well go completely blank. It wouldn't be quite so bad if I just didn't remember the specific wrench or tool I wanted, but I total blank out! Was it a screwdriver, wrench or what? It's like my mental computer suddenly did a reboot and left the body in limbo not knowing what to do. So stand at the tool box and open all the drawers looking into them and hope when I see what I wanted it will jolt me back to reality.
Nearly 20 years ago now my boss at the time was in his mid 60's and we talked about this one day. He laughed at me, and told me it happened to him too - more than he let on. He said he would act like he was looking for something that wasn't where it was suppose to be. Pulling all the drawers open and digging around thru the tools like he was trying to find something when really he was hoping if he saw it he would remember what he started to get. That was kind of our special talk between the 2 of us; but it did make me feel better knowing I wasn't alone.

[Bert Kemp]

I'm not even going to chime in here I have to do oh and

[paul cottingham]

By the time I got to the bottom of this thread, I forgot what it was about. :-)
squirrel!

[Kent A Bathurst]

By the time I got to the bottom of this thread, I forgot what it was about. :-)
squirrel!

You beat me to it!!!

[Kevin Bourque]

I really love ice cream.

[Jim Koepke]

Distraction? You don't know distraction until you have four grandchildren clamoring for an addition to the treehouse and want to help build the framing.

It cam drive a man crazy. Don't you dare go inside for a quick shot or two to calm your nerves. Most of all, do not leave them alone or they might end up with something like this:

Picture 3.jpg

jtk

[John Pratt]

I don't know about you, but the older I get the less I seem to get done. Yeah...I might be slowing down somewhat physically, but I don't think that is really the problem. It seems that I am just more easily "distracted" these days.

Sometimes I will be in the middle of doing something...and something else will catch my eye that needs to be done, so I'll work on that...until something else catches my eye and...

You get the idea.

Then there are the times when I will be in one room of the house...and remember something that needs to be done in another room in the house...and by the time I get there I've forgotten what I was doing.

*sigh*

Can anybody else relate???

In my medical opinion you are turning into my wife

[Rick Potter]

My buddy and I talk about this all the time. We call it pinballing. Boing, boing.

I used to be very focused, and multi tasked all the time. Now...boing. I should put this dish in the sink, oh wait the trash needs to go out, who left this dish out by the trash can? Boing.

[Brian Deakin]

Counting






When I lack the enthusiasm to complete tasks I count


Example open cupboard 1 , pickup tea 2, fill kettle 3 ,find cup 4,open fridge 5,locate milk 6,open milk 7 and so on


If you try to identify tasks to do in this way you can accomplish a large number of small task in a short time and my focus is on finding a task for the next number


Alternatively


In the work shop I will tidy away 10 items before I allow myself to commence the task I want to do


Or in other circumstances set a number of tasks to be done In a certain time frame


and because I am in control of the counting I always succeed




The serious point to this is you build success into your day and this lifts your spirit

[Harold Burrell]

In my medical opinion you are turning into my wife

I'm sorry. But I do not want to be your wife. I'm sure you are a good guy and all...you're just not my type.

[Rick Moyer]

I'm sorry. But I do not want to be your wife. I'm sure you are a good guy and all...you're just not my type.

I don't know, Harold, you'd at least have someone to point out their flaws to and get them to do stuff for you.
btw, I had a science teacher once that claimed that the mind functioned best at 39 degrees. Probably said that when someone claimed the classroom was too cold.

[Chris Parks]

I retired about 18 months ago and I find it hard to get things done. When I was at work I had goals every day, I had to start and finish at the same time, my life was organised for me. I find I am not planning my life as I had to when working, if I did not plan then nothing happened but now I just coast along doing whatever seems attractive at the time. I have been ill for about twelve months and I am in the recovery stage of that illness and I find that I get distracted or find distractions as I can't get motivated to do anything substantial at the present time. I have a brand new Hammer combination machine I wheeled into the shed four months ago and I have not touched it since, literally.