Perpetual Workplace Motion

A particle will stay at rest or continue at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force. ~ A simplification of Newton’s First Law of Motion

I’ve experienced a unique phenomenon over the past many days, and it’s not strictly the ability to spell phenonmenon with confidence and without pausing at the keyboard.

I’ve been a dynamic machine of work and productivity. I hope it lasts. Bull Durham says it never does and that they don’t come around very often. So, in an effort to duplicate it in the future, I’ve attempted to deconstruct the defining characteristics of this streak:

• Single-Tasking: I work on one thing, and I work on it until completion. If it’s been a larger project, I identify the necessary steps and complete one or more predetermined pieces of the full puzzle.
• Isolation: When I’m working, i shut off email and phone. Period. It’s actually now a reward to open email after checking something off a list and see what’s new, but I control email – not the other way around.
• It’s a series of sprints, not a marathon: I’ll work in a focused frenzy for 40 minutes, then go play with my son for 20. I’ve learned when focused I can do more in one day than more than a few people can do in a week.
• Preview: The night before, I lay out and prepare the next day’s lineup of stuff. I start on the first thing immediately in the quiet of the house.
• Review: It feels good knowing I got stuff done. So I review all my little checkmarks at the end of the day. My friend, Michele, made me shun my geek-instincts and remove all the infamous productivity software applications from my computer – opting instead for a notebook and pen. I don’t know why, but it’s worked much, much better.
• Batch the phone: I hate the telephone. Hate it. Whenever possible, I make all the phone calls at once and get ’em over with.
• Just write: I do a lot of writing. A lot. (All evidence to the contrary.) I eliminate as many distractions as possible and (wait for it) just start typing. Who knew?

This past weekend, I encountered a strange sensation. I didn’t dread the thought of Monday. Do you know this feeling?

Yes? What measures to you take to keep your streak alive?