Nested Tasks

byTLeeC

97 followers

11 years ago

When I was a kid, my Grandma had a set of Russian nesting dolls. I found the beautifully painted figures irresistible. I loved the wooden squeak they made when you twisted them open to find an identical, but smaller doll inside. There were twelve in Grandma’s set - the smallest like a large wooden bead.

I am reminded of these dolls as I try to reach my goal of having my first website up and running. Almost every time I move to take the next step, I discover two or three steps within that I hadn’t anticipated. An example from yesterday goes like this: I ask in Live Chat how to set up pages once my first introductory page is in place. (I know, I know, very basic stuff for most of you, but completely new territory for this low-tech girl!) I am given a link for a tutorial that shows just that. Perfect. I follow the link and begin working through the steps. This takes me further into setting up the plug ins I’ve already installed during the Getting Started class. Which takes me to AKisMet. Which gets me setting up an account . . . And so on. What was I trying to do in the first place? Oh yeah, add another page to my website!

My challenge is to be able to stay focused on the task at hand, and resist opening up every nesting doll I come across. I realize that I will eventually need to do all these things, but if I do everything as it comes across my attention, I will become lost and frustrated with the process.

So, here’s how I stay on task: I use pen and paper. On one side of the paper, I write down the large goal (Get my website up and running) and break it down into tasks I need to complete in order to accomplish the larger goal. In this example, “Add a page to my website”. Whenever I come across something that is relevant or interesting, I jot it down on the other side of the paper to be pursued later. This has created a sort of map for me. I can stay focused on the task at hand, but have an easy reference for things I am going to have to address shortly. And I can cross things off as they are accomplished, creating a visual reminder of the progress I am making that I can use to help stave off frustration when things become difficult.

The list on the other side serves a a reward for crossing something off of my tasks. The items become like nesting dolls I allow myself to open. At the end of the day, I find I have worked through tasks necessary for my larger goal, and learned a few unexpected things on the side.

Best of luck to everyone today!

Tracy