Window Pain

I usually have several windows open as I work on a project.  One for referencing and researching, and another to make sure I don’t miss an email, then there’s the weather, and of course Facebook.  Accessing other windows makes me feel productive if I happen to get stalled on an idea, at least I look busy.  If I spend more time outside my project window, I often start to feel a dull tension like a muscle ache as the anxiety of not making progress
sets in. 

As always, tech term definitions intrigue me.   According to TechTerms.com, “A window is an area on the screen that displays information for a specific program.  A typical window includes a title bar along the top that describes the contents of the window, followed by a toolbar that contains user interface buttons.  Most of the window’s remaining area is used to display the content. Typically different files can be displayed simultaneously in different
overlapping windows.”  Nothing new, I know. 

Here’s what I discovered as I examined the data displays on my “thought processing screen”.  Many thoughts were segmented and categorized, just like I described: the project window, weather window and email window. Only these were more like the work window, family window, friends window, to-do window, and dreams window. 

Although this seems reasonable for keeping focused and organized, it was much more linear in nature than I had anticipated.  How would creativity and spontaneity fit into this tidy framework?  Mentally it simply felt too confining. It caused me to consider how important and connected all aspects of our lives are to each other.  This thought
spurred an idea.  I remembered a dream from several weeks ago that I felt had referenced a work project.  So, mentally I went into the dream window and “dragged and dropped” the specific imagery from the dream into my
work window.  Brainstorming with myself for a few minutes, I played around with new thoughts.  Almost effortlessly, this propelled an idea for work, which later produced a successful outcome. 

It was a fascinating and fun experience.  I’ll definitely keep my windows open, and I should create and label two more windows, one Associations and the other Symbols.  I can just imagine the added confusion with a search. What a drag, at least it’s not a pain!

The Search is on. Join me.