My Concentration Is Shot

I've lost my ability to concentrate. I knew this before I started my time off, but thought it wasn't so bad. Hey, maybe it's actually a sign of being a good multitasker. Obviously, that is crap.

Now that I'm on sabbatical and I really need to concentrate. The external distractions I can deal with: shut off email and IM, take the editor full screen. What has me concerned is even with those tricks I still have a hard time. It's me. My mind wanders. I think about of that other thing I was going to do; wonder what's going on with that news thing that has no immediate bearing on me.

As Yoda said, "you must unlearn what you have learned." I'm trying these things:

• Reading. Not blogs, but books. Business stuff is OK, but fiction is better. Best: dense science fiction -- that requires concentration. I don't view this as entertainment (which it primarily is) but exercise.
• Coding. Anything less than a three hour block of time is almost worthless. But once the Flow comes, it is sooo good.
• Watching lectures. The drier the better.

I'll report back in a month if my concentration is any ... wait, what was I saying?