Lexicon
A glossary of the ideas behind a busy mind. Each entry explains what a term means and why it happens, with our point of view on what you can do about it.
Focus and attention
Why attention gets pulled around, and how to give it to one thing.
- Body doublingDoing a task with another person present, so that it's easier to start and stay with it.
- Maker's schedule vs manager's scheduleLong, unbroken stretches for building something, or a day of short appointments.
- MultitaskingKeeping several tasks moving in the same stretch of time, usually by switching quickly between them.
Getting unstuck
What to do when you can't start, or can't keep going.
Clearing your head
Getting what you're carrying out of your mind and somewhere you trust.
- Brain dumpWriting down everything that's on your mind, without sorting or judging it, so that it's no longer only in your head.
- Mind mappingLaying out your thinking as a diagram, with one main idea in the middle and related ideas branching out from it.
- Open loopAn unfinished commitment, question or decision that's still waiting to be resolved.
Planning your day
Deciding what today is for, and giving it a place.
- Daily planningTaking a few minutes to decide what today is for: what deserves your time, what fits and what can wait.
- Daily to-do listA short list of what you've chosen to do today, sized to the time you have.
- Time blockingDividing your day into stretches of time and giving each stretch a specific activity.
Reflection and habits
Noticing what's going on, and building what you'd like to keep.
Calm and rest
Coming back to where you are, and recovering from what you've done.
All terms, A to Z
Put these ideas to work
Notes, mind maps, tasks and a calm day plan, all in one place.
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