“The fastest way to do anything is do one thing at a
time.” Most of my life, I have not subscribed to this statement. In fact, I have often felt proud about how much I can do at once. However, even if I can accomplish two (or three) things simultaneously, I have to be honest and say it leads to me feeling scattered and stretched, and less present to either one.
Recently, our adopted seven year old granddaughter asked us to play cards with her. We said sure. Then she said, Can I bring my blocks and do that at the same time? We said, What? She even knew the phrase and said, You know, multitask. Gah!
We told her, No way, silly! If you want to play cards with us, let’s play cards together and enjoy each other’s company. You can build blocks later. She learned this from adults, because kids don’t think these things up.
That weekend, we started watching my favorite movie of all time, “The Sound of Music.” It’s so long that we had to divide it into sections, especially if we watched just before bedtime. On our last day together, we had received a shipment which included a box of foam peanuts. This kid can come up with entertaining games and adventures
with anything, and she was having a blast with those foam peanuts.
When it was time to finish watching the movie before she went home, she asked if she could bring the peanuts into the bonus room to keep playing
with them during the movie. We reluctantly said okay.
As the movie approached parts where something really big was going to happen, I would look over to make sure she was watching, only to see she was deep in the box of
peanuts (sometimes literally). I kept saying, “Watch!” And then, “Uh-oh, you missed it!”
From what I could tell, she was not getting the full benefit of either the movie or playing with peanuts, but rather a
constantly-interrupted experience of both, which interfered with her reward from either activity. I would even say she wasn’t getting fifty-percent of the usual enjoyment from each one, but more like twenty-five percent of the pleasure, when you account for non-stop transitioning back-and-forth, each time having to reacclimate herself to where she left off, or trying to understand what she missed.
Unfortunately this describes how many of us do life. Some of us may try to blame it on age, but our young people are multitasking, too. This fractional living has become epidemic in our society. We are a distracted bunch, and I have both hands raised myself.
Another enticing benefit of juggling multiple things is the physical rush it causes, similar chemically to ingesting manmade stimulants. We tap our body’s pharmacy each time we try to do too much in a designated amount of time, which is compounded if that causes us to wait
to leave home at the last minute to rush to the next thing while driving a car. This level of activity requires adrenaline, which we were never meant to use on a daily basis, and certainly not for everyday life. Living in a state of adrenaline takes a huge toll on our bodies. And on our health!
I am committed to continuing my own battle against the temptation to multitask. Who’s ready to join me in slowing our daily pace to intentionally pursue calmer, focused living? Being aware of how often we’re functioning this way and how it makes us feel are important first steps to implementing real change.
Notice your breath today. Shallow breathing is a good indicator that adrenaline may be the fuel driving you. Anytime you catch yourself rushing and breathing shallow (or maybe even holding your breath), do a reset. Pause and take a deep breath. Reaffirm your intention for how you want to approach your day and protect
your health.
I would love to hear your thoughts about multitasking. Does it work for you or is it diminishing your day to day experiences? Let me know if you’re on board with slowing down to be more effective internally
and externally.
Just for today, notice your pace and notice your breathing as you navigate your day. Whenever you become aware of your breath, breathe deeply into calm and say, “I have all the time I need to do what must
be done today.” Believe it, because it’s true. The rest can wait. Have a great day single-tasking your way to purpose and good health.
