Hope for non-linear minds?
August 18, 2015 4:36 AM   Subscribe

I need ideas for being productive/organized although I have a scattershot mind.

I came across a page on linear vs nonlinear thinking, and it summarized nonlinear thinking as:

Human thought characterized by expansion in multiple directions, rather than in one direction, and based on the concept that there are multiple starting points from which one can apply logic to a problem.

I googled 'nonlinear thinking" because I felt that this is what best describes the way my mind works, so that definition confirmed what I was thinking. You could also just call me a creative type or a renaissance soul since I have so many interests. My mind can go off in multiple directions and my thought processes can start from a variety of points, and I believe that gives me great creative abilities. However, when I'm at my worst, my thoughts become scattershot and I become so overwhelmed with possibilities that I end up just sitting on my hands and doing nothing.

Since most work and organization tools are geared towards linear thinkers, I wanted to ask if there are any tools or methods that are geared towards nonlinear minds (though they don't have to use the terms specifically). I just started a new job and so far, the challenges of being back in the workforce have highlighted my need to organize my thoughts. So far I've come up with trying mindmapping software, and maybe trying meditation to rein my thoughts in. Any other ideas?
posted by Cybria to Work & Money (6 answers total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
Checklists. Simple checklists.

For each general task you have to do, make a checklist of all the subtasks you need to do to complete that general task.

Break everything into small distinct tasks that you can do fairly quickly. Cleaning your house is the main task (checklist name) and it might take days, but at any one time you are just cleaning the shower, or cleaning the kitchen sink, or cleaning the hallway. All of these are entries on your checklist. If you go off on a tangent, at least you have finished the kitchen sink, or part of the kitchen sink and you know where to continue. Stick to the checklist to make sure you know what you've done and what remains to be done.

If certain stuff has to be done in a certain order, make sure you number them that way. Otherwise, do them in any order you like that day.

If it's a repetitive task, like cleaning the house, you can make a checklist that let's you enter dates for each time you have done each subtask.

Google around for how to use checklists. Also: The Checklist Manifesto
posted by pracowity at 5:50 AM on August 18, 2015 [3 favorites]


[lets]
posted by pracowity at 6:00 AM on August 18, 2015


Even if you don't have ADHD, you might share enough similarities and qualities with those who do that you might benefit from some of the techniques in ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life.
posted by R a c h e l at 6:28 AM on August 18, 2015 [4 favorites]


Much of my work is handwritten. I use 4-color pens (I really love the Jetstream ones), so if my mind wants to switch directions in the middle, I switch colors (that way I can recover what notes when with which thought process later).

Similarly I have multiple folders, and put physical pages related to a project in the folder for that project.

And of course I do the same thing virtually-- I have say 5 desktops running at once. Each one is for a given project. It is very simple to switch to a new desktop if my mind wants to work on that project, instead.
posted by nat at 6:49 AM on August 18, 2015 [4 favorites]


I came in to suggest "ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life", and it's already rec'd above. Try your local library even.

===

So, my next thought is just to start journalling things. Keep a work notebook to jot down ideas as you have them. Often my brain is on a spin cycle/rotation of ideas where each one comes round and round again so I don't forget them, or because I had a number of ideas and I HAVE forgotten one.

Once I'm writing and fleshing them all out in at least list format, it kind of lets me stop worrying about ALL of them at once, and start focusing down.

Being non-linear is great, especially for some types of problem solving, but free writing seems to help return to linear thought when I'm too jumbled. Like, just start writing/typing anything, stream of consciousness, until your own consciousness starts to feel 'heard' and settle down into what you are really worrying about, what you can REALLY focus on.
That's what stuff like 750words.com is for. Most of what you write is just filler, junk, but you spill out some of the junk and get through to some more clarity underneath.


But yeah, take a look at the book for tips for external structure.
posted by Elysum at 10:57 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]


I keep a notebook open and write down everything I do. I keep a running tickmark tally of every time I resisted some distraction or another. Good days there's maybe three marks. Difficult days there can be ten plus. Really bad days there are no marks because I punted and started playing clicker heroes and gee, look at that, now it's four a.m., how did that happen? Every two hours I take a 20-minute walk. It's 20 minutes where every decision is already made: I go the same route every time. So my thoughts are free to wander. I just ordered that ADD book up there: I must have it immediately. Godspeed, fellow nonlinear.
posted by Don Pepino at 4:45 PM on August 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


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