Last year, I wrote about monotasking, and how to put all of your eggs in one basket by focusing on the basket (i.e. what is the thing that brings all of your tasks together into one meaningful bundle?). And then I ended up in Emergency because I couldn't feel my feet, so I don't know if that strategy really worked for me. Or maybe the strategy works, but I wasn't doing it properly.
I decided to do less and to say "no" more. I was really successful at it, and I had all of this time, Well, up until the end of November of last year. I did five presentations in three weeks, (four of them were within a week, and two of them were on the same day), and they were all on different topics, none of which was Learning Environments. Did I mention I was doing my first term report cards at the same time?
What did I learn?
- I am actually getting better at saying no.
- My timing sucks.
- My time management has greatly improved (but I was heavily supported by my wife who basically did everything at home).
- I can do a lot in a little time if I really push myself and do a lot of planning (I had my three week calendar as my desktop background to remind me of which part of which task I had to have ready by when, and I stuck to it).
- Even though I was busy, I didn't actually feel that stressed with the amount of work (though I still get very anxious when I present). I think it was being so relaxed going into the busy time, and having time to decompress afterward that made the difference.
- Surrounding yourself with great people and presenting to an appreciative audience is positively motivating.
- Caffeine is not helpful to me in a prolonged, intense experience, but adrenaline in short bursts is.
- I really love my pressure cooker. (Hmmm, interesting metaphor). It was helpful in making quick, tasty, and nutritious hot meals on cold days.
