So, I’ve been really struggling with focus and getting some things done. (Like a number of other people.) Getting over the initial inertia has been particularly tricky, not so much physically but in terms of focus and concentration.
After some conversations with my boss and other people last week, I’ve been trying some things that seem to have helped. (So I’m going to mention them here in case any of them might help you.)
One thing I realised is that where my work tasks used to be a mix of small (10-60 minute things to answer) and large (long-term projects that range from 10+ hours to a year or more), right now it’s almost all large projects, and it’s very hard to see any progress.
At work, I have a sticker sheet, where I add a sticker every time I’ve edited 100 items on my Very Long List of things to edit (that’s usually about 2 hours of work, give or take.) I didn’t bring it home with me. This past weekend, I set up a new sheet in my One Spreadsheet to Rule Them All (that I use for personal tracking) and bought some clip art that makes me happy on Etsy, and set up a sheet so I can copy and paste pretty sticker-like images into boxes like my physical sticker sheet. So far so good!
I’m also doing a secondary to-do list that has my major goals for the day (focused on work, since I’m more or less moving forward on other things okay) so I can see in one place what I want to get done, including meetings.
Last week
We did our first online ritual as a coven. We set up the circle with me casting it (with everyone else on mute, following along at home, since part of what my dedicants need to be learning right now is getting the tradition’s circle cast into their bones…)
Then I did a meditation for them, of being out in a garden, exploring what they felt drawn to, and finding something that brought them joy or pleasure. We then charged a food or drink item (I said “something with transformative energy” like bread, yogurt, wine/beer/mead, honey, etc.) to eat or eat and also use later. It went pretty well.
This week
I’ve been wanting to simplify – I’ve had a list of a bunch of stuff I’ve been trying to do (exercise, play music, the SKT project) and had a fit over the weekend of “Argh, too many things.”
So right now, I’m down to doing the basic daily elements of the SKT 22 weeks practice (because that still feels good and helps me remember today is in fact Tuesday), but otherwise not pushing myself.
On Saturday, we have coven chat, if anyone wants to come chat. (I open up the Zoom room for an hour or so), and then there’s an online ritual from the Cornucopia folks that I am planning on making it to (but I have a bunch of online webcall time for work this week, so I may hit Saturday and not want to look at people on a screen anymore.)
