The older I get, the more I am convinced that I’m not a good multi-tasker. I used to be in the camp that always touted that women are awesome multi-taskers and that the elite class of multi-taskers are women and mothers.
I don’t agree with that anymore. My thoughts on the topic are much different these days. I believe that multi-tasking means that you are sub-optimizing.
If I’m being honest – just admitting that to myself is sort of anxiety-inducing. If I’m not a good multi-tasker, then what am I supposed to do? I’ve allowed my to-do list to outpace my capacity… how am I supposed to get everything done?
And while these are valid questions and multi-tasking may seem like the smartest method, I believe that it is actually counterproductive.
We multitask because we want to accomplish things and check things off our list. In a nutshell, we want to get things DONE. But let’s take a step back for just a second.
What does it truly mean to be “done”? When I think about something being done, I think about something that no longer needs changing or no longer requires my attention. But how is it at all possible to ever be done when we are forever changing and growing? When the world around us is constantly evolving?
So, why do I get frustrated with a growing list when it’s just the way things are? Change is constant. Change is inevitable. And this is why I’m working to give intentional focus to one task at a time, rather than stressing over every single task at once.
I’ve learned that I’m much more productive when I give my full, undivided attention to one task.
If we can get past the frustration of not having enough time to do everything, we should bump into the realization that we need to focus on the things that we deem most important.
Once we can determine what is most important amongst all the things that we need to do, we can give each item the proper focus that it deserves.
We have to determine how to focus in a world that is filled with distractions. We have to carve out blocks of time where we can intentionally focus on one thing. The keyword here is intentional.
Intentionally planning time to focus on getting things done, while simultaneously planning, doing, and making room for the next best thing.
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