How do you concentrate on more than one thing? 1

[dragonwell]

That's sort of an oxymoron, isn't it? If you're focused on something, naturally you block out all the other stuff. But we need to multi-task. I don't mean multi-tasking as in "walk and chew gum", but in a wider sense like "develop enterprise application A, work on website B, manage servers X,Y,Z, design application C, etc. and get it all done in 6 months." Us programmers are particularly good at concentrating, and that is generally a good thing. But it seems to be a hinderance, too.

My problem is that once I get going on one project, I just want to keep going and going and going until it's "done" and as a result all the other projects that need to get done are neglected. Part of this is due to the nature of IT projects - if you're away from the mental space for any length of time, it can take a significant amount of time just to get yourself up back up to speed and back into exactly where you left off. So for this reason, plans like "ok, work on project 1 for four hours, then stop and work on project 2 for four hours" just don't ever seem to work out.

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[eyeswideclosed]

I'm kind of "aware" of all the things I work on at once on some sort of instinctual level, it's not a conscience thing, sometimes I'm aware that I'm not even really thinking about what I'm doing so much as doing it by "feel". I know that sounds weird, I think it just comes from having done it for so long, kind of like when I play tennis, I play best when I'm not really thinking about it, just let my body/mind do it, sometimes thinking to much interferes with it.

If more than 1 goose are geese, why aren't more than 1 moose meese??

 

[baltman]

I try to turn ideas over in my head for a few days and think about what I want the code to do and how I'm going to do it. Once I have a good idea of the direction I want to go in and how I'm going to get there I find starting-stopping isn't so bad. That said, I feel lucky to get 2 hours without an interruption.

When I want to 'play around' with something new, I usually do it at home at night after everyone's asleep. Once I figure it out I e-mail myself snippets to use at work.

I'm lucky in that I 'own' and have designed/written 95% of the code I work with and my core programs are several years old so I know exactly the how, where and why of almost every aspect.

So I guess I multi-task by dong the hard stuff in the middle of the night... I would definitely be differently motivated if I was an hourly employee

 

[tazuk]

Coffee.. lots of coffee.

On a more serious note I tend to break things down into chunks.

plans like "ok, work on project 1 for four hours, then stop and work on project 2 for four hours" just don't ever seem to work out.

I tend to break each project / task into manageable, achievable tasks (eg resolve speed issue with code module A in project 1) and think in those terms. I also try to time my breaks so that I have 5 minutes away from the screen to prepare to switch to another task.

Yesterday I fixed 2 major speed issues in my main project, wrote a small portable utility for customer assistance with diagnostics, helped out a colleague with a Bluetooth issue that needed testing and then stepped back to my main project.

I always find it a big help at the end of each day to spill my current status per project onto an A4 pad so that I know where I stand with each one when I return to the office in the morning.

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[AlexCuse]

I keep a prioritized list of current projects on a large whiteboard by my desk. I usually have an idea of how long each one will take me (few hours, few days, few weeks, few months) and whenever I have a large block of time I choose which task it would be better spent on based on this idea. I think the key is just always to know that the board will never be empty, even if you work 200 hours a day. They're always coming up with something else...

This is a good topic to discuss, I'm interested to hear what others have to say.

Alex

It's a magical time of year in Philadelphia. Eagles training camp marks the end of another brutal season of complaining about the Phillies.

 

[Gooser]

I do my best to side-step projects and shirk maintenance responsibilities. By scheduling my PTO for days of major project meetings, I can avoid being tasked with new things to do. It's a great plan that has cut back my workload by at least 35%, giving me more time for Tek-Tips. If all else fails, I go hide in the server room. The limited access makes it a great place to hide.


v/r

Gooser

Why do today
that which may not need to be done tomorrow --me

 

[Gooser]

Of course, that last post was a joke.

--Gooser

 

[SQLSister]

Coming from the data side, I have to multi task. First thing is to set prioroites and do things in the order of the priorities. That means for large tasks to break them down into smaller tasks and move back and forth between different large tasks as you finish the small ones. That wasy you make progress on each. So If I'm developong a new process that will take several weeks, I work on it til i reach a natural stopping point and then go do another task from my priority list and then back to the big task and then back to the regular tasks. Somteiomes i have aprticular data feeds that must be done by a set time becasue having the information there is needed for reports that come out or scheduled feeds out to clients. If iknow that taks will take two hours, I stop whatever i am doing 3 hours before it must be done and do it even if I am in the middle of something. Then back to the task. Another thing I do is start a long process runnning and then go do a smaller task while it runs so as not to waste the time waiting. Another way to do things is to switch to another task when you are stuck on something rather than just staring at the screen. Usually I find this helps me solve the first problem faster as my unconcious will continue to worry at it while I conciously work on something else. If I have to stop inteh middle of something to suddenly work on an emerging higher prioroity (always a concern with data as production problems are show stoppers) , then I leave myself a comment inthe script telling me where to pick up first, then move to the other task. This makes it easier to remember what I was doing when I go back to the first task.

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[AlexCuse]

Gooser -

Good one, even if it was a joke. Made my day.

<sarcasm>

I need to start lobbying for access to the server room...

</sarcasm>

SQLSister -

Your post is comforting in a way. Sounds like you are in an environment similar to mine, and I think it's kind of nice to know things will never change that much. They might not get any easier but at least I won't be bored.

Alex

It's a magical time of year in Philadelphia. Eagles training camp marks the end of another brutal season of complaining about the Phillies.

 

[DonQuichote]

As a programmer, I have two ways of keeping my head from cluttering up with things that require atention:

Object orientation allows me to do things in a modular way. So I can look at a specifc task and keep everything out that does not belong to that task.

Unit tests tell me if some class requires attention. If the tests run, I did not break anything. So only the code I am directly working on requires attention, and nothing else does.

 

[Onyxpurr]

I find it exciting to be able to do this, but on the same level, sad that we're pushed this much.

One way I do this is figure out what projects of mine require some waiting in order to do another.

e.g. Need to put a document and send out for approval, then go work on another project while waiting for approval.

or

Start some code that I know will take a while to run, then do a quick query while the other one runs.

Of course, I have two pcs, and three monitors. Nah, I'm not overworked...*thump*

 

[norteldude78]

I always make certain things priority and work on those first. I have to tell myself to do this, it is not automatic. Sometimes I forget and then realize that I am trying to do too many things at once...

I CANT concentrate on more than one thing...that makes my brain feel funny... : )

peace

 

[KenCunningham]

I'm sure my wife has the best answer to this conundrum - be a mother!!

]I don't mind people who aren't what they seem. I just wish they'd make their mind up.

 

[LadySlinger]

Develop A.D.D...

This is easily accomplished by working at a sales office, at least with emotional and other ADD-ridden sales people. After that, you're fine...

 

[h0h0h0]

I use the getting things done method.

 

[Welshbird]

I find this difficult too so I've been reading suggestions with interest.

I also have an A4 pad with a page per project, and I keep each one up to date as things happen.

My major issue tends to be overlapping deadlines, and for that my current plan is this:

go to my boss and say:

Ok, so you need X,Y and Z done by Friday. Today is Tuesday,
X will take 3 days, Y will take 3 days, and Z will take 6 days. Which one do you REALLY REALLY want for Friday, and is there anyone else who can help wiith the others to speed them up?

I'd like to hear other ways of getting around this one though.



Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]

 

[aarenot]

scheduling enough time to complete a project is really the job of the management. it is your job as non-management to let them know when enough time is not scheduled. if you are the project manager also, then you need to communicate when another project comes to you that you do, or do not have enough lead time to complete the project with current resources. it is not your responsibility to turn a lack of preparation on managements part into an emergency on your part.

then, do like they expect, and take it home with you, and finish it on your own time, skip breaks, and lunch, or eat lunch at your work station while you work.

 

[Welshbird]

If I really have to work daft hours to get things done then I will; I just want to make sure this is known about, and appreciated.

Otherwise it just becomes expected that work will happen, no matter how little time is available.

I really do like my job, but I like having a life too!

Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]