Wandering Mind? Use That Half Inch Strip
Does this sound familiar?
Whenever I sit down at my desk, crank up the old pc and start putting together my next great campaign, my mind starts to wander.
At present, the popular term for this malady is coined 'Attention Deficit Disorder' (ADD) My mother called it daydreaming. My father called it being "scatter brained". I prefer calling it "Thinking about all the other things going on in the world having nothing to do with what I'm working on at present."
This can be a problem because the world is a pretty big place. Never tell me to 'Think Outside the Box'. The helpful suggestion will cause me to ponder the significance of our solar system or perhaps give me reason to wonder about the present ecological situation of 'The Astral Plains of Alpha Centauri'. (Don't ask).
So, how do I stay on track and keep my mind from taking an unexpected side trip?
I wrote three simple phrases on a half inch strip of paper and posted the words on the top strip of the frame surrounding the PC monitor. From left to right the phrases read:
"Make a Plan." "Focus" "Take Action."
Instead of my mind wandering from whatever it is I'm working on, I glance up at the top of the monitor, see the words, and continue on with my work.
I really don't know if the words help, or the location of the words help. I really don't care either way.
So far, this simple little action plan of mine seems to be working.
If a quick fix like the one I described here keeps me focused and serves the purpose of keeping me on track, I'm all for it.
I'll just have to put the solutions Alpha Centauri's ecological situation on hold for now.
Peace, WA'ers
I like the reminder, so I've taped one to mine and my wife's monitors. Thanks for the tip.