There is no spoon, but there are some random lines on the page
Remember Morpheus telling Neo to free his mind?
For about a month I have been dumping all the things to do for work on a page opposite my schedule and daily major tasks. I glance over the list at the start of most days and jot down new randoms when they come. Lots of the little stuff gets crossed off over the course of a week. The stuff that isn't crossed off faces the flip of pages for the next week's schedule; the little pain-point of having to rewrite items makes this a decision moment: does each still belong on the list or do I choose to drop it?
This tactic has helped me with all the little tasks--forgetting much less and choosing when to drop, do an easier version, or buckle down and get it done. This was all I was hoping for.
What has seemed magical is the freedom. Like a city without cars, the level of calm is surprising. And more creativity--yesterday I wanted to share a principal and it came out as a catchy rhyme, today I was teaching on challenging a group of friends to have an adventure and suddenly a stellar prompt bubbled up in my mind. Something like used to happen when I was around a fire with five friends. In fact if I had a fire and five friends with me tonight we might be repairing a vehicle together and then riding it to the ocean. I hope this alternate-reality group chooses a boat and to go down to the Gulf of Mexico (yes still Mexico whatever Trump and Google say) via the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.
It feels like my brain is clearing from a stupor.
Also this past month I have started writing again after about seven years. So maybe its the writing and not the task list.
I think both have had an effect. But seriously the list seems like a big piece. So simple. For all the jumping skyscrapers, Neo still needed a spoon. I think I needed a list.