As a woman I have always prided myself in my ability to multi-task. I have believed that this is/was one of our triumphs over men, our ability to do multiple things at once must mean we are the superior sex! Every once in a while I must admit my wrongs, and this is definitely one of those few times. In fact, I now firmly believe that their innate ability to only do one task at any given time is one of the reasons men have historically been task masters and in turn more efficient and perhaps the more intelligent sex.
Before I get hung by those feminists out there let me explain myself. A few months back I found myself swearing up and down that I had indeed replied to a work email that I was now being reminded that I had ignored. I also swore I sent out thank you cards. Needless to say, the email was in my drafts file and the thank you cards were in the office. I take a look around, the toys are stacked away neatly, but the rug needs to be vacuumed, the TV stand and shelves were dusted, but no one would notice the spider webs on the ceiling, right? Blaire and I had gone to music class, but she wouldn't mind if I went through emails while we did her number tree, right? Sloane, well she is so good at independent play she wouldn't mind if I washed the mornings dishes and looked at recipes while chatting with her, right? I couldn't find a good recipe, since I was also entertaining Sloane, Brian won't mind if we order dinner tonight, right? Oh, I can do a better workout tomorrow since this one sucked. Right???
WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! Seriously, was anything truly getting accomplished? No. And that is the solid truth about this so called wonderful thing that women do, multi tasking. Nothing truly gets accomplished, unless you think doing things half way is accomplishing something, and as an athlete and competitive person by nature, I don't. I was being a half assed Mom, half-asssed employee, half assed wife, half assed exerciser, and half assed woman.
So for lent, while everyone nd else was giving up sweets and other indulgences, I gave up what was hurting me and my family most, Multi-tasking. For the first time ever I was able to make it all the way through lent without cheating! Better than that, was the fact that I felt liberated & relieved. I was no longer trying to keep everyone and everything happy and going all at once. Instead I could focus on each person and task individually and therefore give them/it the true attention it DESERVES, not needs, DESERVES! I learned to let go of having to reply to emails as soon as possible and often find my inbox with 30+ messages at a time now. But hey, if someone really needs a response they have my number and can call or text me (though if I'm engaged with the girls, it will still have to wait a bit). I've also come to realize that the girls are more prone to attention getting behaviors when I've been attempting to do more than one thing at a time, which now serve as a way to keep me in check. Dinner prep and time flow with much more ease, emails get answered when I'm not being distracted by trying to also play with my girls so I know they actually get sent, and well the workouts are slowly becoming my sanctuary of hard work and sweat again, rather than thinking of all of the things that needed my attention.
So, STOP! STOP believing you are doing anyone any good by multi-tasking. Instead, do some good. Prioritize the things that you need to do and check them off, ONE AT A TIME! I promise, you will thank me later. (and then again females will be the superior sex)
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