On Handling Complexity

When I'm faced with a number of disparate tasks, like for example today, when I had to get a bunch of stuff packed in order to travel between two of the places I'm staying these days, do a bunch of clean-up at the one I was leaving, get some writing done, and finally do a little admin work that I've been completely putting off, I find a useful technique is to write each task in my little notebook as it occurs to me, and then cross each one off as I complete it. This technique helps me draw signal out from the noise. I end up being much more effective and don't end up getting overwhelmed.

A far less effective technique--but the one I chose instead--is to take a nap, then play Game for a while, then have no real plan to tackle all of the tasks so that I proceed willy-nilly through/between them.

An upside of this second technique is that if I'm trying to foment anxiety and a deeply embodied sense of hopelessness, this method really works.

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