We’re all busy. And, since I entered the dissertation stage of my academic career, I feel busier than ever. Or, at least, I feel more internal pressure to be busier than ever. At the same time, I recognize that I need balance. All-dissertation-all-the-time may sound like a good idea in theory, but in practice, it just paralyzes me. So, I have been actively working to identify how I work best and how I can be most productive.
To that end, I really appreciate articles like ”One is not enough: Why Creative People Need Multiple Outlets”. In this article, the author describes how focusing on a creative outlet that doesn’t require perfection can be freeing and can help “practice inform practice.” I have read countless articles, books, and advice columns that advocate for downtime or “sharpening the saw” (as Stephen Covey put it). My recent investigations into productivity techniques have reinforced the idea that downtime or changing focus from work to play can help further broaden and enrich the “real” work.
But, it’s hard to find time in the day to incorporate these other creative or focus-changing pursuits. We are all busy, and I can only speak to my specific business, but I have a lot to balance right now: dissertation writing, article writing, blog writing, teaching, dealing with the requests and needs of others, and, yes, playing video games and working with LEGOs. Even with that list, I’m sure I left something out, but many of those activities can be quite time consuming and can lead to a sense or pressure that we must always be working.
But, the pressure to be always working doesn’t work for me, as I mentioned. I tend to get all wrapped up in the anxiety about getting things done without actually getting anything done. Lately, over the past year or so, I’ve been hearing a lot about the Pomodoro Technique, which puts you “on the clock” for 25 minutes at a time with short breaks in between. I’ve found this type of technique works well for me because it allows me to focus for short amounts of time but also get my subconscious working on whatever I need it to during the breaks.
I find that planning my day with these short bursts of work (and don’t worry, I’m putting in a lot of 25 minute Pomodoro’s) yields a lot more productivity and a lot less guilt at the end of the day. I have been practicing the technique for a couple of weeks now, and I have now allowed myself to actually schedule in time to play and work with LEGO, or video games or read a novel. I mostly focus on LEGO here because that’s currently what I’m really itching to do everyday. I have a lot of ambitious plans for LEGO builds that require a lot of background work and learning, and I want to spend a lot of time on these activities. At the same time, simply building LEGO sets is a totally zen activity for me. This focused time management has been freeing my up to be both productive and to know that I can “treat” myself later with a different type of creative activity. Some days I’m convinced that only way I will survive the PhD process is through LEGOs.
