Photo by Ephemera
Ever feel like you have to be Wonder Woman to get everything done on your list? I have. And by the way, how did she get away with that outfit? Oh right, she IS Wonder Woman.
A Tangent If You Don’t Mind
I remember this guy from a few years back when I was living in China. He was a colleague and I didn’t know him pretty well, but the few times he spoke to me, he made me feel like I was worth paying attention to. That nothing else mattered at that very moment but me.
I remember thinking, wow, I want to be like this guy.
Fast forward to today.
I am now a mom of toddler. And for those of you who share my burden joy, you know how hard it is to get anything done with a little one tugging at your leg every fifteen minutes.
So I’ve been trying to figure out what to do.
I’ve written about trying to include our toddler in the kitchen here. Still stressful. I’ve also written here about trying several home planning organizers to try to keep on top of everything I have to do. Just wasn’t cut out for it.
An Experiment: Single-Tasking
So lately, I’ve been doing this experiment. I’ve been single-tasking. It was inspired by a post written by Leo B. at Zen Habits. I would concentrate on doing one thing, and one thing only. I only have 2-3 things I try to do every day and I break those up into smaller chunks that I could do in fifteen minutes.
And you know what? I love it. I get things done. And I feel more present. Instead of worrying about several things at once.
Of course it doesn’t always work out. Sometimes my daughter just wants my attention while I am cooking dinner and I try to juggle cooking while including her. But I find that if I can just step away from cooking for about fifteen minutes and give her the undivided attention she needs, she happily plays by herself for another fifteen minutes or longer, time that I could then give my undivided attention to cooking when I need to.
Back to Our Tangent.
I think that guy back in China discovered something I want so desperately in my life. That when I pay attention to one thing, as if it was the only thing worth paying attention to at that very moment, then it becomes that: worth paying attention to. When I turn myself fully to the task at hand, even as mundane as chopping onions, then it becomes worth my time. And it seems that the rest of the universe tries to make way for it to happen, like my daughter leaving me to do my thing at the kitchen after I have turned myself fully to being with her.
Perhaps this is what it means to truly be in the moment: in seeking the Sacred in one small act or in one small person, we find it. And the glorious topping: we get things done at the same time.
What about you? What do you think of single-tasking? Have you tried this approach? Do you have other suggestions that have worked for you?
While I was reading this, I thought, “Chopping an onion really is sacred.” It was this epiphany for me about gratitude and also consecration: gratitude- for the onion and consecration- of my time. I am a mother of 2 boys and sometimes I forget how my chopping onions (and lots of other tasks) are ways that I can consecrate my time towards the building of my home as a haven for our family. Thank you.
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