2010.01.05 07:00 - Stacking

The Guardian for this meeting was Riddle Sideways. The comments are by Riddle Sideways.

Gaya and I meet again.

Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Riddle :) Happy New Year to you.
Riddle Sideways: good morning tricksy
Gaya Ethaniel: :)

Riddle Sideways: not seen you in long time
Gaya Ethaniel: mm ... probably a month or so?
Riddle Sideways: Happy New Year to you
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Riddle Sideways: hope the end of a year/decade has been good to yo
Riddle Sideways: u
Gaya Ethaniel: Yes it was wonderful, yours?
Riddle Sideways: pretty good, can't complain :)
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: Any new year aspirations?
Riddle Sideways: a couple that I have already broken :)
Gaya Ethaniel smiles and listens.
Riddle Sideways: the place I usually eat lunch had a new dietary menu out. That helps a good bit
Gaya Ethaniel: Sounds nice :)
Gaya Ethaniel: I was guessing it was something about coffee, I remember you wanting to have less a while ago.
Riddle Sideways: but I hurt my lower back and can't go to the gym like I promised self
Gaya Ethaniel: ah ... sorry to hear that. Hope it's not permanent.
Riddle Sideways: you have good memory
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: lattes ... I think it was.
Riddle Sideways: yes, lattes in front of me
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Riddle Sideways: September is when I cut those back
Gaya Ethaniel: ok
Riddle Sideways: to every month month month, there is a ...
Gaya Ethaniel: ?
Riddle Sideways: but, what about you
Riddle Sideways: any inspirations
Riddle Sideways: aspirations
Riddle Sideways: new targets
Gaya Ethaniel: I try not to make specific ones ... in a way, it could just set me up for failures. But one is 'keep it simple' inspired by Rashi :)
Riddle Sideways: yes, KISS
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: I think for now, I want to avoid task or goal specific aspirations ... :)
Riddle Sideways: will the rest of your life allow that?
Gaya Ethaniel: I guess I don't want to add more to the current pile so to speak.
Riddle Sideways: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: I will see how this works out :)
Riddle Sideways: everybody's In baskets seem to be ready to topple over
Gaya Ethaniel nods.
Gaya Ethaniel: It's very easy to start filling it and to get carried away.
Riddle Sideways: a very popular book "Getting Things Done" has me putting everything into the in-basket
Riddle Sideways: which quickly became the in-corner
Riddle Sideways: which became the in-room
Gaya Ethaniel nods ^^;;;
--BELL--
Gaya Ethaniel: For me, I just try to get something done when remembered if possible rather than put it onto 'to-do' list. Esepcially small things even though it proves to be an interruption because this seems to have decluttering effects.
Riddle Sideways: same book says, if you can get it done in 2 minutes then do it
Gaya Ethaniel: ah
Riddle Sideways: else deligate, delay or delete
Gaya Ethaniel nods.
Gaya Ethaniel: But this doesn't work for you?
Riddle Sideways: many of the "do such-n-such" when I get to office/home/place happens in the car/shower
Riddle Sideways: can not do right then
Gaya Ethaniel nods.
Gaya Ethaniel: I guess such suggestions need to be adapted to each individual styles & needs.
Gaya Ethaniel: btw I'm reading a book on Rashi by Elie Weisel.
Riddle Sideways: really... What is the title?
Gaya Ethaniel: Rashi :) Let me double check ...
Gaya Ethaniel: This one -- http://www.amazon.com/Rashi-Jewish-E...2704979&sr=1-1
Riddle Sideways: [like I need another book in my in-basket]
Gaya Ethaniel: heheheh
Riddle Sideways: thanks
Gaya Ethaniel: It's a very small and short book :)
Riddle Sideways: The extreme example I guess is sitting mediation and thinking about the need to make a loaf of bread for tomorrows meal
Gaya Ethaniel: ?
Riddle Sideways: the way we can move those thoughts along needs to be practiced in everyday life
Gaya Ethaniel: Well what would you normally do in such a case? Get up and make the bread or drop the idea and continue sitting?
Riddle Sideways: neither... the idea gets gently parked to the side for later
Riddle Sideways: promise it that you'll come back to it
Riddle Sideways: and then really do come back
Gaya Ethaniel: So you'd also stop sitting?
Riddle Sideways: no, continue sitting
Gaya Ethaniel: ah ok
Riddle Sideways: finish the current then go on (or back)
Gaya Ethaniel nods.
Gaya Ethaniel: It is indeed an important practice though I must admit sometimes I may see the need to get up and make the bread ... depends.
--BELL--
Riddle Sideways: as stated that is the example, but in little daily things we switch back-n-forth
Riddle Sideways: little tasks like take butter out of freezer
Riddle Sideways: bigger tasks like new wonderful super computer I just assembled
Riddle Sideways: that can not run SL yet
Gaya Ethaniel ponders ... what an interesting topic ... switching back and forth ...
Riddle Sideways: pushing tasks and interruptions onto out stacks
Riddle Sideways: pushing the context of where we were onto the stack so we can go to the interruptions
Riddle Sideways: people's stacks are a little better then computer stacks in that we can pop tasks by priority
Riddle Sideways: well, maybe
Gaya Ethaniel: In a sense though ... these categorising, reviewing tasks add to the pile?
Riddle Sideways: yes
Gaya Ethaniel: I think I largely let go of such rules ... and also feel less interrupted by 'interruptions'.
Gaya Ethaniel: This way I feel less drained when switching back-n-forth. Of course top priority tasks, I try to be firm about not interrupting :)
Riddle Sideways: very good technique
Gaya Ethaniel giggles ... top priority tasks could be most obsorbing, creating no internal interruptions in an ideal world ... ^^;;;
Riddle Sideways appauds Gaya on something I can not get to very often
Gaya Ethaniel: Don't :) I'm feeling pretty scattered after the break today ... hard to do the initial push with priorities ...
Gaya Ethaniel: I will just do my best ... get done as much as possible ...
Gaya Ethaniel nods.
Gaya Ethaniel: I wanted to ask you actually what you think of Rashi. I am assuming you know his comments very well?
Gaya Ethaniel: I can imagine :)
Gaya Ethaniel: One of the comments from the book on Rashi was that his ability to teach shines through his students, their quality and numbers. I think this is a common feature with great teachers.
--BELL--
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: [I meant numbers as in numbers of students who became great teachers themselves.]
Gaya Ethaniel laughs!
Gaya Ethaniel: Guess you and I won't be nominated for such an award.
Gaya Ethaniel: You have [I had] a disavantage of less popular time after all.
Gaya Ethaniel: That's true :)
Gaya Ethaniel: heheheh
Gaya Ethaniel: I am definitely an invisible student for most sessions :)
Gaya Ethaniel tries to read logs most of the time.
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: ok ... I feel RL tugging :) nice seeing you again Riddle, have a good day!
Gaya Ethaniel waves :)