distractions doesn't seem like as much of a problem. We also have fewer responsibilities and deadlines, plus less pressure to get things done. As we get older our needs change, and the environment we're comfortable working in changes, too. Try decluttering your work environment for one week and see if it helps. It may jolt you out of habits developed when you were, essentially, a different person.
Multitasking
System administration is a job where multitasking is the norm. We are downloading the new ISOs of our favorite Linux distro while restoring a file from a backup tape, and reading email while responding to an IM; meanwhile, we have 15 open windows each doing something different. We rock!
This is a good thing. If it is going to take an hour to download an ISO image, the best use of our time is to start it, then do something else. Once the download starts successfully, it doesn't need our attention. We can check back on it later.
The problem is that sometimes we overextend ourselves. We get confused. We make mistakes and have to make a detour to fix the problems we've caused. I've also watched system administrators with so many open windows that they spent more time finding the right window to perform a task than doing the work in that window.
Here are some tricks that help me:
Be aware of which tasks to multitask and which not to. Good tasks to multitask are 'hurry up and wait' tasks, such as downloading a large file, compiling a large program, or waiting for a long backup or restore to complete. Anything else shouldn't be multitasked. Do one task at a time well rather than many things at once poorly. Give the top priority your undivided attention. To make sure you don't forget to return to the other tasks, record them in your to do list (see Chapter 5).
Be aware of your stress and sleep level. If you are tired or under a lot of stress, multitask less. There are days when I'm tired, in a bad mood, and very frustrated. Suddenly I realize that I'm working on so many things at once that I'm not getting anything done. I shut down all my windows, my IMs, my iTunes, and so on. I take a deep breath. Then I pick the one thing that is my top priority and do it with no other multitasking. It feels so good.
Organize your windows with a virtual window manager. Rather than have 50 windows open on one screen, a virtual window manager lets you group windows into screens. For example, I might have six virtual screens. One I use for reading email, another is for monitoring my systems, and still another is where I work on issues in our request tracking system, and so on. Rather than having all those windows cluttering one screen, they are well-organized and out of the way when I'm not working in them.
Organize your windows the same way every time. You'll spend less time searching for the right window, and reduce the risk of typing a command into the wrong window, if you always arrange the windows on your screen (or virtual screens) in the same way. For example:
When comparing two versions of the same document, I always put the window displaying the older version on the left and the newer version's window on the right.
I once worked with machines in London that have failover pairs in the United States. I always put the London window on the right (my reasoning was a mnemonic: London is east of the United States).
When writing Perl code, I always use the same three window arrangements: a text editor (wide window, top left), the place where I run/test the program and/or prepare input (narrow window, top right), and the place where I review the output (wide window across the bottom).
When I am viewing log files of multiple machines to see their combined interaction, I always place the windows in the order that the data is flowing (top to bottom).
Use windows to make a nice work space. Command (shell) windows are free, so don't be stingy. It drives me crazy to see a junior system administrator who uses too few windows. A common example is on Unix or Linux systems when one is debugging an email problem. I've witnessed junior admins who send a test message, then try to type the command to display the tail of the email log file quickly enough to catch the lines related to their test message. Then they display whether the email was delivered properly, which scrolls the log off the top of the window, losing critical information. Then they edit the configuration, save the file, exit, and send a new test message. Stop the insanity! Don't just dive in, prepare your workspace. Create four windows:
A wide one that runs tail -f /var/log/mail.log to display the logfile in real time, printing more lines as they appear in the log. Just let that run while performing the other steps.
