Question
was posed to a group of writers the other day. When are you the
most productive?
The
sarcastically witty voices in my head wanted to answer simply:
“When everyone in the house leaves me alone.” Which, to a degree,
would be true. Take away questions and errands and the variety
of absolutely appropriate and acceptable interruptions that occur,
and often focus upon a single task improves. Just makes sense.
The
funny thing is, sarcastic or witty or however you want to think
about it, I often wonder about such an idea. Because the simple
answer may work, even if only as a joke, but it’s often not that
simple.
If
you have a schedule for a job, and commitments to family and friends,
you may find yourself with a very specific window available to
you for personal time. Yes, we can stream television around the
clock and find grocery stores open 24/7. Still, most of us will
never be outside mowing the lawn at 3a.m. There are certain obligations
we all must face, and some will have a defined window of opportunity
to face them.
Bit
of a side note. I’m often fascinated by how our house feels throughout
the day. With the same things running… the fridge and heating
and so on… and few factors external to the house… the same volume
setting on the television feels astonishingly louder at midnight
compared to noon.
I
mention this idea because I think most people would also lean
toward productivity spikes from times when it’s quiet. Not just
free of interruptions, but when the pace and activity slows. Times
not only when the demand for participation in other things isn’t
as strong, but when the potential for distraction isn’t as strong.
If
you ask someone whether or not they want something playing in
the background while they work, the answers will likely be all
over the map. It’s not a simple yes or no. Even those that tell
you they want music playing will have conditions: the volume level,
whether it’s something they know well or something they don’t
know at all, the type of music, and so on.
So,
what is it?
Other
people might distract me?
Alternative
I might find an interest in, resulting in me distracting myself?
The
atmosphere surrounding me, where the right combination of project,
background noise, and timing don’t come together properly?
What
creates the scenarios where I’m not that productive?
We
have a radio in the garage. If I’m working on a project inside,
I turn it on. If I’m headed out to the garden, or setting up some
work on the backyard deck, I turn the volume up. I like background
noise. And, depending on the project, it varies in what I want
to have playing. (Back to writing. Trust me, tapping my feet while
working on an essay is one thing. Hearing a catchy song that ropes
me in and gets me singing along is another entirely. There are
times and places for different distraction opportunities.)
I
suppose the simple answer to our original question is this: I
get the house to myself when I get to do exactly what I want to
do, without conversation, debate or compromise.
It’s
not just being alone that determines the idea. Someone else could
actually be there. But as long as I have the opportunity to be
lost and not found, that counts. And when I’m doing something
because that’s what I want to do, that works. I’m not kidding
when I say there are people that consider yardwork and chores
relaxing escapes. (Crazy, I agree. But it’s true. They’re out
there.)
Now,
if you’ll excuse me, there are some clothes I need to get on the
line before I lose too much of a great dry-the-clothes-outside
day. I just hope I don’t see some other things to do while I’m
outside hanging them.