Recently, I was in the middle of mindlessly scrolling on TikTok, and in between the videos of summer fashion finds and a dog being rescued after seven months in a shelter (the algorithm knows my love of secondhand puppy-shopping videos), there was a video about space exploration. My interests are teasingly diverse…
You see, in 1997 there was a robot on Mars called Pathfinder.
Back in the 1990s, you couldn’t control a robot on Mars remotely from Earth, so they had to send one with general commands and then let the robot decide what to do next and trust the robot to do its own thing. The robot had to manage its own tasks, such as dropping off tools, taking pictures, gathering data, etc.
But this little robot wasn’t doing anything. It was just, well, kind of sitting there. It wasn’t accomplishing anything.
Why? Because its scheduling algorithms were overwhelmed. For those who don’t speak fluent computer, an algorithm is a set of instructions, such as a recipe. Sometimes computers have so many instructions that they get confused and can’t decide what to do first. It’s like a little kid having too many toys to play with and not enough time to play with them all.
In essence, this little computer was procrastinating.
It would start to make progress on a task, and then it would decide another task was actually more important. So, it would start on the next task, not finishing the first one.
This is a cycle that computer scientists call thrashing. Thrashing is the state of being where a computer uses 100% of its power to decide what task to do next, instead of using that power to actually work on a task.
It’s not that it’s not doing anything — it’s using its full strength but not accomplishing anything.
I’ve never identified so deeply with a robot in my life.
I am the reigning queen of starting on a project and then, seeing something else that is equally important (and, let’s face it, equally ignored), starting on that, until the next super-important-but-also-ignored task catches my eye.
And that is why I can drop into bed at 7:30 at night, exhausted, but also recognizing that nothing officially got checked off my list that day. (Just as I was writing that last sentence, I remembered that I needed to check in with a client, but am forcing myself to keep writing because… irony…)
I continue to have to train myself to stay on the project (or problem) in front of me, instead of borrowing stress from yesterday or tomorrow. There is enough to handle today.
I realize sometimes that I’m looking for a distraction. When a problem becomes challenging, it’s easy to want to move on to something that will be less difficult, less painful, less intense, less boring.
That hustle comes from the desire to get everything done because I don’t want to let anyone, especially God, down. But God’s Word reminds us that He’s not about the hustle. In fact, the ancient wisdom contained in Matthew 6:34 sounds like what a lot of therapists and productivity experts would say today: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
When I start to get overwhelmed, I try to put a couple of practices into motion:
- A daily to-do list. Every day, I start a list of things that need to be done. I also underline the things that must be done today, such as car registration and emailing Becky. I then assign other items that are not a “today” item to other days of the week. Everything has to be done, but not everything has to be done right now.
- Assign the time. I’ve realized I can’t stop at a list. I actually need to put that list on my calendar so that I have assigned the time to work on my items. Otherwise, I make a list of twenty things when I only have time to do four and get worried that I’m not working on the right things. By writing them down and adding them to my calendar, I can ensure that important tasks get done, but allow my brain to stop cycling on those tasks.
- Create a routine. I have a list of morning routines and evening routines that I do every day. Because there is no decision-making (these five things get done every morning and these five things get done every evening), it takes a lot of the stress out of the decisions and I don’t procrastinate. It’s just what I do, and it makes my life go so much more smoothly.
So much of worry comes from either living in the past or living in the future. When we concentrate on the present, we’re able to better recognize all the ways God has equipped us for the moment and experience the abundance He has for us.
Need extra encouragement when it comes to getting your daily list done? Join Kathi and her team over in their Facebook group, the Clutter Free Academy.
Thanks so much for this much-needed devotional. Being on my 3rd week of not being on the schedule at my part-time job, I’m having a really hard time staying on task and not procrastinating about accomplishing things around the house. Last week I spent 1 day cleaning out every kitchen cabinet and drawer, and yet I still haven’t tackled the piles of clutter/papers on my desk. Sometimes it is a matter of where to even get started. With God’s help, that’s the plan for today.
MP – forgive me for taking so long to reply to your comment.
I get this – so deeply – we accomplish one thing but can’t help but see the things that still need to be done. I pray that you can sit in what you have accomplished, and will be able to be gentle with yourself in the things that still need to be done.
Boy do I relate to that little robot! I’m working on setting time blocks for my tasks and getting more of my to do list accomplished.
Gail – forgive me for taking so long to reply to your comment.
Right – I wish i could have as much self-compassion as I do for a robot!
Well you described me to a T…..have used lists for years and am mostly successful, but have decided that I need to assign times and am expanding my morning and evening routines. As a retiree it is tempting to fritter away time. It was affirming to read that I am not “the only one”……My friend, a former paralegal who was often given more things to do than time to do them used to write down everything that needed to be done but that list is only used to assign tasks to the current day and then it is set aside….similar to your suggestion. You don’t need to think about the BIG list nor try to remember everything on it but have a do-able list for the day.
Thank you for the ideas and encouragement
Kathy – forgive me for taking so long to reply to your comment.
You summed this up perfectly – no one would be able to get ALL the things done. We have to be realistic with ourselves and our time. We are all works in process!
Thank you for the well written article. I am currently dealing with neurological issues left over from having shingles, COVID-19, and West Nile Virus in a three month period last year. I can no longer multitask and some days I find myself just “thrashing” because my brain is trying to do things that take more processing than I can handle now. From now on, my “To Do List” will be just enough for what I can do today and I will put the rest on another page for tomorrow. I will also put the verse from the Bible at the top of every day!
Yvonne – forgive me for taking so long to reply to your comment.
You have had more than a human should have to deal with. I pray as you learn strategies to cope with what you’ve been dealt, that you will have grace for yourself and for your journey.
Kathi, I really enjoyed this. I am smiling ear to ear as I look at the scarf I began knitting last October. It’s about 4 inches long. I get it. I have a monthly and daily calendar and try to prioritize the ever growing to do list. That verse from Matthew is something I try to remind myself every day. Some days it works and well, others not so much.
Sigh. Yep. Me.
Oh my, I so relate to that robot too. Thanks for bringing clarity and practical insights. So helpful!
So, the technical term is “thrashing.” That’s wonderful and sounds quite scientific.
That’s much better than confessing I get distracted a lot more easily than other people. For instance, “I just noticed something glittery on the carpet. I have to go check it out, but I’ll be back in a minute.” Of course, I’m kidding. But truthfully, when I get distracted, nothing gets completed.
Still, this might be the primary drawback of having a creative mind, since it’s tremendous fun and fulfilling being a creative, especially if you are an introvert.
Thanks for the suggestion to control the mind-that-likes-to-wander with a to-do list, Kathi. I used to faithfully use that trick every single day. It was incredibly beneficial to productivity and gave me a feeling of accomplishment at the end of each day.
Somehow, this helpful habit fell by the wayside. I will have to reinstitute it. Loved this past!
Kathi,
My biggest problem is living in the past. Spending way to much time on past mistakes. There are some days when I put my mind to it & accomplish a ton of stuff. Last Saturday I got up at 6:30 am & got hubby off to work. Then I dressed & zipped of to Wal Mart & a grocery store. When I got home & had put everything away I cooked up four meals for the week. I wasn’t done till almost 3 pm cleaning dishes.
I make a mental to do list for my 3 day weekends each week. Time isn’t assigned to any one. On Saturday & Sunday I must be done with most stuff & be getting dinner ready by 8:45 – 9;00 PM when hubby gets home from work.
Blessings 🙂