“ 5. How do you keep on task and ensure you are focused on the most important to-do’s? I keep a to-do list that I update and review daily and weekly. It’s my map. At the top, there are 3-4 things that are most important, that I need to get done outside my regular daily writing deadlines. At any given time I should be working on one of those things on my list or one of my “daily duty”-type tasks. If I’m not, I’m either letting myself go off in tangent mode (which is fine, as long as that’s a conscious decision), or something’s out of sync and it’s time to regroup and rework my priorities. Basically I’ve got two modes of work: loose/open, and focused/closed. When I’m in “open” mode, my instant messenger status is set to available, I’m surfing, writing, checking email, coding, listening to music with lyrics—getting things done, but in a multitasking way, open to interruptions and tangents. When I’m in focused/closed mode,
I shut down IM, stop checking email, close any windows I’m not using, switch to my ambient music playlist, set a timer, and plow through whatever I’ve got to get done. Typically I go into closed mode when I’m on deadline, or feel like too much time has passed since I checked off something really important on my list. Interview with Gina Trapani, Founder of Lifehacker
I shut down IM, stop checking email, close any windows I’m not using, switch to my ambient music playlist, set a timer, and plow through whatever I’ve got to get done. Typically I go into closed mode when I’m on deadline, or feel like too much time has passed since I checked off something really important on my list. Interview with Gina Trapani, Founder of Lifehacker
