In this age of podcasts, books, and talks about productivity and efficient output, the title, “planned neglect” seems very out of place.

Out of date.

But what does it mean–planned neglect?

A friend introduced me to it a few years back and at first, I just listened and nodded my head.

My thoughts: what about multitasking? I have that down pat. You know, start the laundry, get dinner cooking, open the computer and listen to a course. That's how I am built to function.

Honestly, it would have been impossible to toilet train a child, or house break a dog without it. Example: I am in full-on edits on my current work-in-progress, but hardly miss the face-grimace of that toddler as he or she has to go! Just up, grab the kid, run them to the bathroom and pop them on the potty!

Is it always that effortless?

Nah.

But, once a routine is set, with a little practice on both our parts, it becomes successful. (Do you know many 16 year olds that still … ?

Overall, planned neglect literally means that I walk past every other chore or project. Past the undone dishes, the dust on the counters, any clutter left from a week's worth of mail. Past that office mess above!

I neglect the obvious things to be done to get to that ONE.

For me that might be a revised draft of the current book. I might be visiting my sister soon, who is my main beta reader, so I push to complete that and print it off to take to her. Saves on mailing costs

Or, I'm prepping for a presentation at my local writers conference–Nebraska Writers Guild. As I develop the talk, I practice it everyday. I practice planned neglect everyday until I rehearse that talk. Then I am free to do the other tasks that I pass by.

I definitely start the washer, before sitting down to write or whatever.

But I have found that the more focused I am on one task, the faster it goes and the more peaceful I become.

Even though there are many jobs and chores to be done.

Always.

Try it. Let me know how it goes for you.

It's hard at first–takes practice–but so worth it.