3 Principals of Plate Spinning Productivity (and a review)

The idea behind plate-spinning is to keep as many of my projects up in the air and spinning as possible, with as little effort as possible. You can read more about it here and here.

This week, I dropped a whole buncha plates. Ker-Smash.

Oops. Seems that I focused on one plate (research) at the expense of all others. The other projects lost momentum and started wobbling. I mentally “saw” the plates wobbling, but I didn’t stop and spin any of them. As a result, they eventually stopped spinning and fell off of their sticks.

Which brings me to 3 Principals of Plate Spinning Productivity that I need to be aware of, each very roughly outlined.

1. Momentum takes energy. Creating initial momentum takes more energy than maintaining it. I need to spend more energy when I start a project, but once it’s spinning, the momentum is much easier to maintain with lower energy and attention. If a plate falls, and a project stalls, it will take as much time and energy to restart it as it does to start it initially.
2. Focus should be on the gestalt, on the whole line of plates, rather than one or two individual plates. Obviously, focusing for too long on one project means ignoring others which may wobble or fall.. it may also cause the focused-on plate to spin so fast that it flies off the pole. Burnout?
3. Timing matters. I need to develop a sense of how long I can stay away from a particular project, without it losing momentum. I haven’t mastered that yet. It also matters in *which* projects get spun at which times. (Not all plates need to be in the air at all times)

So. Let’s see how badly I’ve done. Here’s a review of the plates I listed 3 weeks ago:

• This Blog: Spinning, but a bit overtorqued. This i where I overfocused… I applied so much effort to the research for mirror neurons that it nearly spun out. My head is still whirling.
• Personal Finances: Wobbling I have kept the checkbook balanced and bills paid, but… I’ve overspent, had to file a tax extension, and still have to file sales tax.
• Housework: Crash Ooops. Anyone have a bulldozer?
• Fine & Graphic Art: Wobbling Even though this one is wobbling, I’m pleased, because I did start an altered book (serious fun) and a new painting.
• Health: Slow Spin I’ve done much better about my antihistimines and supplements. The workouts and water need attention though.. and that should get the speed back up
• Used Book Sales: Still Not In Play I’d said I wanted to get this started. I haven’t. Sometime before the end of the month, I think.

Hmm.. Not as bad as I’d thought. Only one real crash. So… a little extra attention to the finances. A little extra attention to my health. And a solid bit of attention to general house cleaning. Once the house is clean(er) I’ll start in on the book sales..

There. The blog plate has been spun!