How do you fight a case of The Slows?
‘Cause I seem to have one.
Me.
I asked this question on Twitter. These were the answers I got:
- Coffee (three votes) or Red Bull (which I’ve never had).
- Music — “a rollicking song” or “Eye of the Tiger.” (Solid idea, but I’ll skip the Survivor in favor of the White Stripes or the Black Keys.)
- If coffee fails, “I clean my desk.“
- “Just start with baby steps: tackle the small tasks that don’t take too long — boosts confidence at least.“
- “The slows don’t happen to me often, so [I] indulge them when they come.“
- “I imagine someone else getting to my goal before me.“
What would you add? How do you work your way out of doldrums?
~
Photo by Craig ONeal, used under a CC-Share Alike license.
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Two words – Bon Jovi
I can totally respect that, Kristen. I can hear those Richie Sambora licks now . . .
First thing to do is get off of the computer if at all possible. Use pen and paper, something tangible where you can get your mind around what you have to do. Working in 2 dimensions (on a screen) can be a killer for me.
I retire to the restroom, slap myself with water (dry slap if it’s an acute case of the slows) and talk to myself about getting with it. Add Jack Nicholson inflection to taste. :)
Good idea, Leonard — and in fact I was doing some of that this morning, pulling together notes & papers into a semblance of order.
Ed — I’ll go with the full “You can’t handle the truth!” treatment from A Few Good Men. ;)
Curing the slows depends on the cause.
Sometimes it’s dread of a big task to be done (which, BTW, is why I’m commenting on this blog instead of prepping for the board meeting). In that case I clear all distractions (shut office door, Outlook and Twitter), whiteboard out what I need to do, and get to work. I’ll promise myself a walk to Starbucks or something as a reward at the end.
More often, a case of the slows means that there’s a an issue I’m not aware of that should be on my task list, but isn’t. A short walk or a conversation with a co-worker can uncover it. Once that’s done and I have the most relevant task at hand, it’s amazing how quickly the slows disappear.
All insouciance aside, I’m with Russ and Leonard on this one.
An innate inclination to shed input noise and simplify output modes seems to be a common clarifying thread here, i.e., isolate the culprit and send him on his way. :)
BAGPIPEs!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZuq_mMDg20
I keep tennis shoes in my office. Sometimes even a five-minute walk can get me recharged again (when it’s not 150% humidity, like right now, I mean).
I’m with you, Shawn. Midday workouts — or just a walk outside around our building — can be a great boost.