At work, I frequently juggle multiple projects and multiple tasks within those projects.In the past week, I’ve been going back to make sure everything was in order.
It wasn’t.
Today I discovered that a large chunk of what I thought I still had to do (batch processing some files through Photoshop) had been done not once but twice, and saved in nested files.
I was not amused. I have now fixed the problem but it took me the better part of the day to sort out which files were intended to be the final web-ready versions and back them up in their intended locations. It was not only frustrating in that I had made myself extra work, but it was also disorienting because in my hurry to get things done, I had not kept accurate records. Oh, and also embarrassing because my supervisor was there with me and I had to confess that today was largely a write-off because I was fixing errors I had made. Argh.
The older I get, the less able I am to focus on more than one task at hand. I now need to slow down and write things down so I don’t forget what I’ve done — it’s like I need to leave a physical trail of breadcrumbs instead of a mental one. Currently, I am juggling three projects at work and many at home. It’s part of the reason I decided to do the 11for11 self-challenge, basically imposing on myself the need to focus on a single project until it is done instead of flitting from one to the next. Unfortunately, I don’t have that luxury at work so it looks like I’ll have to stick to writing things down.
Cheryl,
Glad to hear that you have adopted the lifestyle of an Eventualist. It’ harrowing at first, but once you get used to the lowered expectations you’ll feel better-ish about the whole thing.
Have a great weekend so that you’re freshly charged for a return to work next Wednesday.
Eventually yours,
Mike
I had that very conversation with a friend at work today. About how the older we get , the harder ir is to multitask. Although, we are both much older than you.
Thanks Mike. I do have to be *at* work on Monday though. Unlike you, I still work for “the man.”
Star, I think there is plenty of evidence now that multitasking is kind of the ultimate lie of the workplace. I think it’s only natural that our brains just give up trying to accommodate the lie. 🙂