Multi-tasking has been a part of my life for so long it is ingrained in the very fabric of my being. Parenthood will do that to you. Running a small business will do that to you. Combine the two and multi-tasking is no longer a matter of choice, rather it's about survival.
But times have changed. I'm no longer completely self-employed and The Boy is no longer particularly dependent. Of late, multi-tasking seems more a burden than a necessity. It's just not agreeing with me anymore, perhaps because the need is not as strong. Perhaps because I'm ready to slow down and approach life differently. My life is different than it was, after all.
But how to make such a change? I mean, egad, I'm still busy. I have plenty on my plate with plenty of responsibilities and tasks to juggle. How do I transition to taking smaller bites and chewing more leisurely? Can my life in its current form be adapted?
Maybe multi-tasking isn't the real issue. The real issue seems to be with my mind. How do I slow down my thought processes, retrain my mind to focus on one thing in one moment and really absorb the object of my focus? Can I shed the habits created by years of necessary multi-tasking?
I don't even know where to begin.
Maybe with a nap.
While napping I don't have to think.
But times have changed. I'm no longer completely self-employed and The Boy is no longer particularly dependent. Of late, multi-tasking seems more a burden than a necessity. It's just not agreeing with me anymore, perhaps because the need is not as strong. Perhaps because I'm ready to slow down and approach life differently. My life is different than it was, after all.
But how to make such a change? I mean, egad, I'm still busy. I have plenty on my plate with plenty of responsibilities and tasks to juggle. How do I transition to taking smaller bites and chewing more leisurely? Can my life in its current form be adapted?
Maybe multi-tasking isn't the real issue. The real issue seems to be with my mind. How do I slow down my thought processes, retrain my mind to focus on one thing in one moment and really absorb the object of my focus? Can I shed the habits created by years of necessary multi-tasking?
I don't even know where to begin.
Maybe with a nap.
While napping I don't have to think.
.
9 comments:
Oh, I do know where you're coming from! Sometimes I remember back to a simpler time (childhood, what else?) when I had no responsibilities and whiled away a day watching the lake water ripple after each rock. I could do that now and be content.
Well, maybe for a while...
:-)
Funny how easy it is for me to look at someone else's circumstance and wish it to be mine. But I am typically like that ya know? One of those people who you take to dinner and after deciding on Creme Brule I glance across the table at someone else's cinnamon cheesecake and instantly fill with regret. Maddening I know.
Your entry today coupled with my own little life happenings has lead me to remember and ponder over a Robert Frost poem. I'll share it, hope you like it.
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it's queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Robert Frost
as an aside: I stumbled across your blog and really have enjoyed reading it.
Part of my joy and fear is that there will be little to do. I'm trying to convince myself yeah, they'll be stuff you don't HAVE to do but there will be stuff you will WANT to do. Will the want to have the same urgency as have to-and will I be able to work up enough interest at all?
Napping sounds like the perfect solution, at least, for a time.
I would suggest a meditation class. If you can't find one that does not seem too wonky to you, maybe a hatha yoga class.
Ohhhhhmmmmmm...(my mermaid is meditating you know...)
And also, fake it til you make it.
i have to agree with Max.
try some meditation... or the hatha stuff. hey, it worked nicely on me.
despite my hair problems.
Nope, nope nope. No napping until you get something done. At least, that's my system. A nap is a reward for all my hard work. Sitting and reading a book for four hours--oh, that's um, that's different.
like you, i had multi tasked for so long, when it came to unwinding, i didn't know how. napping was an escape from the realities of my past life. now napping is my reward, and since i am just healing from surgery, napping and resting are orders of the day. i hope you find what it is you seek. have a nice weekend. great blog site,btw, i'll be back
Wow. What a concept. If you learn how to let go of this particular disease, please do share.
Yep, napping is GOOD!!!!
Actually, it is getting to be more like nodding off... and NOT on purpose. aHem.
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