I have gotten myself in a bit of a pickle lately by trying to do too much and trying to do too many things at the same time. Even though retired, I find that I continue to hate wasting what precious moments I have in a 24-hour day. I would prefer to spend this time enjoying my colouring, swimming, golfing and my newest and favourite pastime, napping.
Like many women, I try to get the most out of each activity I enter into. Take cooking for example. While things are on the stove top cooking or in the oven roasting, I may walk away to throw laundry in the washer or pay my bills via the internet. This has resulted in some very well-done dinners and perhaps a bill that was paid twice and another not at all. Thus, the double and the trouble.
I even colour, something I entered into to relax, while I am doing something else. Mostly eating. Really, I don’t know how I have mastered using my hands for colouring and somehow putting popcorn in my mouth at the same time.
The term multi-screening is something that I thought was for the young, those that could easily keep track of more than two things at one time. I am now fidgeting with my cell phone while watching television and more than once, have sent the wrong text to the wrong person. Most often this causes confusion but in a rare case it has caused some concern. There’s that trouble again.
Perhaps you too have cleaned the dinner dishes while watching your favourite Netflix show only to find one of your pots had somehow made it into the refrigerator empty. (I sneak it back into it’s rightful place usually unnoticed) I don’t know why I just can’t do one thing at one time. When I took a time management course some time ago, I had learned, and can still hear the words that my professor taught us, “Deal with the task at hand immediately and finish it before moving on to another.” In other words, don’t set it aside and move on or try to do two things at once…leaving both unfinished or poorly done.
Sounds reasonable enough especially since I rarely have deadlines that cause me to have to work double time.
Except for days like today. As the deadline for this article approaches I am sitting in front of the television watching a program I love and tapping on the keys at the same time. After a few drafts, I felt peckish and resorted to eating as well.
Hopefully I haven’t made a mess of things but if you find something that is not quite right, you now know why. Have a great summer everyone.
