I mentioned “Continuous Partial Attention” in a post recently, and a reader sent an e-mail pointing to this:

Linda Stone has thoughts on what it is and how it affects us:

Continuous partial attention describes how many of us use our attention today. It is different from multi-tasking. The two are differentiated by the impulse that motivates them. When we multi-task, we are motivated by a desire to be more productive and more efficient. We’re often doing things that are automatic, that require very little cognitive processing. We give the same priority to much of what we do when we multi-task — we file and copy papers, talk on the phone, eat lunch — we get as many things done at one time as we possibly can in order to make more time for ourselves and in order to be more efficient and more productive.

To pay continuous partial attention is to pay partial attention — CONTINUOUSLY. It is motivated by a desire to be a LIVE node on the network. Another way of saying this is that we want to connect and be connected. We want to effectively scan for opportunity and optimize for the best opportunities, activities, and contacts, in any given moment. To be busy, to be connected, is to be alive, to be recognized, and to matter.

I am as guilty of this as anyone, what with the laptop always on, my wife and her TV addiction, and the stack of books that I need to read.

How do you use your productivity practice to avoid the trap of Continuous Partial Attention and accomplish your tasks and goals?

I originally posted this article back in July of 2007 (which was the last time I got the flu), and since I was down for three days again this week, I thought I’d re-post it as a reminder:

“How to bring your system back online when an unexpected incident occurs.”

1. Start with an Overview

Pause before you begin your day to take a look at your most recent Weekly Review notes. Catch up on where you were the last time you gave your Actions and Projects a review. This will “re-boot” your mind and create a fresh starting point for the coming week.

2. Review Your Hard Landscape

Scan your Calendar, Waiting For, and Next Actions lists. Check your capture notebook, and Collect everything that may have been by-passed or delayed during your illness. This will ensure that anything you might have had planned gets re-scheduled if you missed it. Some time-specific events or notes may no longer be valid, and perhaps a deadline has passed and the Next Action is no longer appropriate. On the other hand, a Next Action or Waiting For that was not pressing may now need to be moved up on your list of priorities - becoming a Most Important Task for today.

3. Make Notes for the Next Weekly Review

When your schedule gets off-track, because of an illness or an emergency situation, it is important to plan for your next review of Next Actions and Projects. Make an appointment with yourself to get back into your routine. I would recommend blocking out some extra time for this particular Weekly Review. Use the extra time for extra brainstorming and/or creative thinking about where you are and where you want to be. This forward-looking activity can give you a jump-start into the following week. This is a powerful method of motivation, providing inspiration for future goals rather than prolonging the feeling of “playing catch-up”.

Bonus Tip: Ask for Help

Letting things go due to unforeseen circumstances creates feelings of frustration and anxiety. Remember that (in most cases) you can ask someone for assistance. You have friends, associates, family, and co-workers that you can likely go to for some assistance in completing tasks that need to get done. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of having a mature perspective. Asking for assistance can be one of the greatest gifts that you can give yourself.

Now I get to take my own advice! I have a meeting this morning, that I am ready for because of the Overview. When I get back I will be able to address the rest of my MITs for the day and get some things done.

I do need your help with one thing: One of my goals for this month is to increase the number of subscribers. We are not quite there. Please subscribe by clicking this link, and you will be able to download a free copy of my new E-book Project Planning in Context. Thanks for your help!

Some tips from Matthew Cornell:

Matt’s Idea Blog: Some recent GTD how-tos, tips, and tricks

Indexing filing systems When teaching clients about filing, I sometimes get asked about more complex approaches, including indexing file drawer contents. This is done by creating a master list (on paper, kept at the front of the drawer, or as a file on your PC) that groups files by topic or keyword, and specifies where to find them. Some people find this kind of system helpful (there are some home-grown solutions at Database to my alpha system - is it needed? and commercial programs like Paper Tiger), but generally I’ve found a simple A-Z system with no index works great for most people. It’s simple, inexpensive, and filing and retrieving is fast.

And a second post on the same topic: Secret Filing Hacks from the Masters

I’d like to share some simple filing tips I’ve picked up from clients and fellow practitioners. They’re all low tech but high value hacks that many have found useful. Please share yours as well!

• The “File bookmark” hack
• The “Fold crease” hack
• The “Staple, don’t clip” hack
• The “Unfold before you file” hack
• The “Magnetic bookend” hack

Take a look at these, then visit the PKM Forum to share your thoughts.

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This is a project that has been on my back burner for a while. Up to now I have just been saving things in folders and labeling/tagging as best I can. I started the PKM Forum to generate some discussion about setting up an Indexing/Reference system, with lackluster results so far.

Read this post for inspiration, then log in to the Forum and let me know what you think. What tools or systems do you use? Registration is free, and there are no ads. I am afraid that I have to have registrations to keep out the crazy sex spam-bots.

murtworld

A reference system can be built from everything from a single text file to a vast array of customized databases. The key here, as with many things in life, is to go as simple as possible but no simpler (yes, Einstein). I struggle with this, tending to attempt to make complicated systems to mirror life, which is complex. Simpler systems will reduce stress and you will also remove the inefficient time spent maintaining an elaborate system (granted, you may also become bored once your fiddling has been taken away). You may think that adding 29 custom fields to each entry or devising an intricate ontology to represent your knowledge model is a good use of your time (I’ve thought this before, too), but I doubt that it really is. The essence of a reference system is to enter information easily and retrieve information easily.

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