Comments on: Ruining the Meal of Productivity with Snacks http://logicaldisconnect.org/archives/2009/04/30/productivity-snacks/ Mostly Misanthropic Memoirs Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:39:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Kevin http://logicaldisconnect.org/archives/2009/04/30/productivity-snacks/comment-page-1/#comment-46964 Kevin Mon, 04 May 2009 16:13:55 +0000 http://logicaldisconnect.org/?p=965#comment-46964 <p>I actually recently noticed that I'll sometimes have such a resistance to some very hard problem, that I will go hunting for a snack or a refill on my beverage, or to the bathroom. This only happens when I have a particularly sticky problem. Or one that totally blows away what I thought before.</p> <p>I am not yet sure what causes that emotional resistance to dive into the new problem. I think it's related to the fact that I know I'll get interrupted. And the deeper and more complex a problem gets the greater the chance I'll expend effort only to have it wasted when I am interrupted and haven't yet figured out the solution yet.</p> <p>I've been working to recognize that emotional state and to stop and ask myself the question, "What do you want?" when that happens. I mean that question in the long term sense not the immediate, it has helped to keep me focused.</p> <p>I think my long term strategy is to become more cantankerous when interrupted to train those around me when to leave grumpy Kevin alone.</p> I actually recently noticed that I’ll sometimes have such a resistance to some very hard problem, that I will go hunting for a snack or a refill on my beverage, or to the bathroom. This only happens when I have a particularly sticky problem. Or one that totally blows away what I thought before.

I am not yet sure what causes that emotional resistance to dive into the new problem. I think it’s related to the fact that I know I’ll get interrupted. And the deeper and more complex a problem gets the greater the chance I’ll expend effort only to have it wasted when I am interrupted and haven’t yet figured out the solution yet.

I’ve been working to recognize that emotional state and to stop and ask myself the question, “What do you want?” when that happens. I mean that question in the long term sense not the immediate, it has helped to keep me focused.

I think my long term strategy is to become more cantankerous when interrupted to train those around me when to leave grumpy Kevin alone.

]]> By: tmc http://logicaldisconnect.org/archives/2009/04/30/productivity-snacks/comment-page-1/#comment-46963 tmc Mon, 04 May 2009 14:12:36 +0000 http://logicaldisconnect.org/?p=965#comment-46963 <p>See, for me, a snack-task is very literally about walking away from the computer to scrounge for cookies. Probably also not good, but far more delicious than responding to email.</p> See, for me, a snack-task is very literally about walking away from the computer to scrounge for cookies. Probably also not good, but far more delicious than responding to email.

]]>