Distraction City

I am a full two days late this week! Oops…I’ll try to not make this a habit.

This week has been full of distractions. I did manage to get in my 3-hours per day most days, but for all that time, I don’t feel like I accomplished a whole lot! Most of what I DID accomplish was related to teaching, which is good. It needed to happen, but I felt a little like I was/am spinning my wheels.

I spent a good chunk of time this morning journaling and brainstorming ways that I can feel less distracted. I think this feeling is actually coming from the fact that there are days where I am constantly switching gears. For illustration sake, this is a very general idea of my day yesterday:

1. Muggle job work/meetings

2. Doctors appoi

3. Muggle job meeting

4. Student (who was sick, so I practiced instead)

5. Muggle job meeting

6. Student

7. Deal with a house issue

8. Attempt to practice more

9. Hang out with Husband

10. Muggle job meeting

11. Hang out with Husband

12. Sleep like the dead

Notice how many times I switched gears? And this doesn’t include small interruptions like Husband having a question for me, or the dogs wanting to play. NO WONDER I FEEL CRAZY.

To a degree, these brain-switches are unavoidable. I have to do all of my various jobs. I have to deal with the (small….don’t worry) wasp infestation in my house. But there’s got to be a way to do all of the things that need doing and also feel less crazy, right?

This week (well, the remainder of this week), I am going to attempt some time-blocking. I thought I was doing this already, but I haven’t been very good about sticking to the boundaries I set, which makes said boundaries useless. I’m also going to work to establish a boundary with my husband so that I have fewer interruptions while I’m working. Like if the door to my workspace is closed, it means I don’t want to be distracted. Wish me luck with that one!

Lots of seemingly non-musical talk this week, but this sort of work is important for anyone working for themselves. I know establishing a schedule that I can stick to - even if that schedule changes every day - will allow me to be a more effective human and a better musician.

Do you use time-blocking? How do you manage the distractions of life, work, etc.?