Managing Tasks
Breaking into multiple attempts/sessions
One of the problems faced by persons involved in research is their usual involvement in mental tasks which require multiple sittings. For example, it is usually not possible to sit down and keep on thinking till you find a solution. Normally, you will get stuck mentally (mental block) or bored/tired. When attempted over multiple sittings, it becomes easier to incrementally make progress. During a sitting, when one is no more making progress, simply stop and switch to next task in the list.
Maintaining a list
We can maintain a list of tasks to avoid remembering them. One can do it using Google Keep (https://keep.google.com) or Google Tasks or any other method (like maintaining a list on the paper). One need to find a way to manage all the tasks mentioned in the list. The tasks can be thinking about something, physical activity, reading etc..
The objective should be to finish a task as soon as possible once it is taken up. Instead of leaving a task halfway, it is better not to take it up in the first place. Further, it is important to utilise your time efficiently so that maximum amount of work gets done.
Each task can be done till one feels bored or tired. Each such duration can be called slot. Most of the tasks will be done in multiple slots spread over multiple days. Slot end will depend on the cues as mentioned. Whenever a slot ends, next tasks from the list can be picked up based on your liking, and attempted. Everyday, we can search and begin with the task which we like to do, and continue spending time on each new searched task as per our liking. If tasks are arranged in reducing priority, and our search for task starts from top, we can maintain the order of task taking care of importance and what we like to do. This way, when a task is picked up, we tend to choose important as well as the task which we will perform best at that time, first. A task gets removed only when it gets finished.
In case something more important comes up, it can be added to the task list, the list can be reorganised. Also every evening, we can do a single iteration of arranging the task by moving most important task to top using bubble sort. So, most of the tasks will be done on daily basis for some time and it will allow good progress on them. Alternatively, one can partition the task lists in blocks from bottom to top keeping some overlap between consecutive blocks. In each block, we can identify most important task and move it at the top of block. This can be done from blocks from bottom to top. Finally, we can rearrange all the (top 10 or 15 tasks) in top most block in order of importance after bubble sorting from bottom to top of block.
This we retain the prioritized list of taks, and also do it as per what we feel like to doing.
Sometimes, we are not doing an important task and doing something less important like checking emails, Whatsapp. Whenever you realise that you are doing something that is distraction, try to stop doing it. It is OK, even if you do not start the next listed task immediately. You should stop doing whatever you are doing unless it is the intended task for next 10-15 minutes. The chances are that work on intended task will start within this period. Once the intended task progresses, you can keep on working until you are tired/bored or feel to stop the task. If you cannot start the task in this attempt slot, then next important task can be taken up, by again defining next 10-15 minutes attempt slot. Controlling distraction will guide you to do the next best task. It is important to postpone distractions and add them to task list if they are important, to be done later. Once you have taken care of distractions and you are now back to the task to be done, simply ensure either you should do nothing or do the task in next 10-15 minutes slot. Slowly you will start doing the task. It is like letting the task begin at its own pace.
Managing Distractions
Once we are able to start a task, it is important we keep our focus on it till either we get tired or work gets finished. During a work, we need to avoid distraction. If you recall something to be done it should be postponed for later unless it is more important than what you are doing at that moment. One can simply note down that (obviously it must be less important than what you are doing) on a sheet of paper, and continue with what you are doing. Sometimes, you do'nt see the task moving further. In that case, let your mind do nothing except the task for next 10-15 minutes so that the task can start naturally.
Once you decide to move over to next task, the task noted on sheet can be seen and done if it is important. Normally, the task which you remember while working on something, may not be that important, but for fear of forgetting them, one tends to preempt the current task and move to it. Recording it on a sheet of paper, takes care of this fear, and thus one can do it later.
For focused work, bringing focus back to work, and avoiding the movement of focus on something else, both need to be suggested to self. One should suggest himself to immediately stop first and note the stopped task for later action, then go to mode where you do nothing except the task for next 10-15 minutes slot. This will let the task be happening at its natural speed.
The movement of focus on something else, is avoided by putting the distractions to paper for later handling. Also, never think of not doing the distracting work, but always think of it being postponed for later.
So, we should not discard the unproductive tasks but we should set the priorities right.
Another problem, one may find in bringing focus back to work, is the fear of getting too involved in the work and loosing on the other tasks. This fear does not allow one to start the work itself. I can call it the starting trouble. This is baseless fear, as normally we will get bored or tired after a certain time and then switch to something else. But if some task is addictive, then one can put the alarm for a certain duration say one hour, when you can switch to next best task from the list.
