At risk of wearing out my welcome at WP...

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Omnicognic
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07 Oct 2010, 3:53 pm

Hello WP, it's Rob again..

First let me apologise for spamming WP with questions.

I asked about tips to deal with the horrible state of my house and got some great advice, but I have discovered a new problem.

It seems my obsession has shifted from my inventions to my AS and I'm non-stop looking up information from all over the web and here.
I'm on the internet on my phone while running errands and here at my home computer. I need to learn to stop and take care of other pressing issues that I so easily put out of mind and forget.

Any tips for breaking out of the "zone" and dealing with things that need attention?


Thanks in advance,

Rob


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rchamberlin
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07 Oct 2010, 4:22 pm

In my case, I would probably wind up on automatic myself, if it wasn't for my wife.

She pretty much keeps me on task, and with her kind attention, I can usually switch tasks without being "reminded too many times"

Lists work for me, I just have to remember where the list is, and which one has priority.

If it were up to me, I would get clean dishes out of the dishwasher, put dirty ones in the sink.
When dishwasher gets empty or sink gets full, I run the dishwasher,
then repeat.

In other words, an automatic process that does not require my attention to make it work.

The same with litter boxes - the cats tell me when they need cleaning.
They also tell me when it's food time,
and when it's time for my nap.

I do depend on others to keep the flow going.

I guess if I were on my own, I would get a pda with a loud obnoxious alarm, and do a master list on it.
I would need to make a firm commitment to keep that list up to date, and to move to the priority task when the alarm went off.

Otherwise I would just kind of float in my comfort zone, and not worry about dusty cabinets, plants that need water, and lawn that needs mowing.

Good luck on your situation.
Please share if you discover something that works well for you...

rob


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tttnjfttt
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07 Oct 2010, 5:03 pm

Besides making lists of what I need to accomplish, the other thing I do is I set a timer for a "reasonable" amount of time to spend working on a project. If the kitchen desperately needs cleaning, I might set the timer for 10 minutes, and make a deal with myself that in 10 minutes, I can go back to my obsession. I find two things usually happen. Either I am done in 10 minutes, or I am now focused on the task at hand, and continue it until it is finished.



BTDT
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07 Oct 2010, 5:05 pm

Yes, keep a list of tasks to do, as well as stuff to buy. I also have a calendar on the refrigerator that lists important stuff like paying the mortgage and Dr. appointments.



CockneyRebel
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07 Oct 2010, 5:49 pm

I've worn out my welcome, months ago. I still want to hang around, though.


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PangeLingua
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07 Oct 2010, 6:04 pm

CockneyRebel wrote:
I've worn out my welcome, months ago. I still want to hang around, though.


LOL. :)

To the OP - I don't know, I have the same problem.



QuelOround
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07 Oct 2010, 6:04 pm

I can never stay on task and lists hardly help because I misplace them, I get phone calls from my girl friend, she checks up on me and makes sure that I'm not sitting here playing guitar or researching octopodes for hours on end.



Omnicognic
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07 Oct 2010, 6:12 pm

Thanks for the tips,

Unfortunately, I cannot ask a person to remind me because I tend respond in a very negative way when I'm really focused, even if I asked them to remind me. I'm still amazed that my wife has put up with me for so long after all the times I have yelled at her for the same thing.. I am so glad she has so much patience, but I would never want to put someone in that position.

I depend on my phone for everything else including keeping my lists, I'll try setting an appointment with myself with alarm reminder. Seems like an obvious solution, but I'll have to convince myself not to ignore my phone. :wink:

Wouldn't it be great to be able to change obsessions at will? If I could turn my focus to housework, this place would be spotless in 24hrs!


Thanks,

Rob


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Aimless
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07 Oct 2010, 7:03 pm

I'm only beginning to slow down my WP absorption since joining in April 2009. But before then I always had my nose stuck in a novel so I wasn't getting anything done anyway.



Pobodys_Nerfect
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07 Oct 2010, 8:54 pm

I wish I knew. Maybe you need a break from your work to refresh and recharge. Maybe sprus up your usual routine a little so it's a little different so it's more of a "happy place" to be.