Dear Readers,
Our tasks represent our ideas. The better we write them, taking ourselves and our environments into account, the better our tasks may become a reality.
One means of crafting is in the specificity used when writing.
There really isn’t a single rule as to which way or how much you dial in or out. But, consider these three points of measure:
1. One point is at the line of confidence. Whatever you can imagine yourself as being able to do confidently, is useful in creating a welcoming sense. A task like “Practice piano” is about focusing the scope of work only on the piano, as opposed to say, “explore music” which includes the guitar and synthesizer. This task still leaves room to decide what I would like to do within the context of the piano.
And of course we can include an even more specific task such as “Download score for Sonata No. 14 - Third Movement”, which is, in itself, a completely non-creative task.
2. Another point is in being very specific, more so than you need. Doing so can be useful. For example, if I write “Continue practicing Sonata No. 14 - Third Movement”, I have a quick means to get to focused practice.
3. Similarly, broad statements are excellent for when you wish to explore. When I write “Explore music”, I am referring to an entire world. I can write at the piano, explore the synthesizer, practice established pieces, and whatever else comes to mind within the boundaries of the instrument.
Exploring gives the option to decide where to go in the moment. It may not the fastest path to a particular mastery, but speed is often a problematic measure.
