Shutting Down
Have you ever had one of those ‘running low on memory’ days?
That was the message that popped up on my computer screen while I was trying to finish something important and urgent.
Isn’t it always the way!
Of course, I already knew the computer was low on memory by the time [multiple seconds!] I had to wait for things to happen… and the occasional spinning wheel of death. Each time, I paused. Waited. Waited. And, then I kept going.
Such problems never solve themselves by our attempts to keep going. It was a short term mindset I was applying to my computer problem. I know this, and after pushing back on the basic laws of computers one time too many, I stopped.
I closed EVERY open item and shut down the computer. Not a simple restart. No, a complete shut down.
I stepped away from my desk and left the computer turned off for the first time in a couple of weeks. [While my IT friends and colleagues say ‘I told you so’, I’ll move on to what happened next 😉]
I implemented a slow re-opening. Again, tempted to pick up from where I left off - with 4 gazillion open applications and tabs - I resisted and only opened what I needed in this moment.
I was able to complete the important and urgent task, and minus the spinning wheels and lagging pauses.
I, too, felt the benefits from taking a moment to shut down, and to re-start in a slow and considered way.
As we close out another working week, I’m wondering who else needs a moment to shut down and slow restart.