Living in increments
As I've detailed in many posts here on livejournal, I've had a chronic pain problem since August 2010, and frankly, it's only gotten worse over time. What once was centered in my neck with facial pain (and migraines) has become neuropathy (plus some extra pains) in my arms and legs.
It comes and goes in waves, in amounts, and it's the situation of I don't even bother to write down to-do lists. I have a priority list and I consider what I might be able to do. It's not a matter of energy (I have plenty of energy from 3am till about 7pm) - it's a matter of being able to put up w. the pain.
Yes, I have meds, but this is nerve pain. So the usual stuff like tylenol/aspirin/advil doesn't do anything for that. The type of meds that can wipe away nerve pain effectively will also turn off my brain, and I already said no to that years ago.
So I can usually do a thing for defined time - if short. Like, wash dishes (the hot water makes my hands/arms feel better). Many of the substack posts I do ... are written over multiple days. For work, I have tasks that I will not do more than an hour, and then there's a break. Because I know I will be able to persist.
But also a lot of the tools I have are helping - like the AI transcription tools. So I don't have to type as much.
But sometimes I have to say, no. There are too many steps to a task. The scope is too big. If I can't do it incrementally, I won't be able to commit. I need to be able to do something in 30 minutes, and then stop. Or maybe an hour.