Message of the Day - Stretched Too Thin?

Good Morning,

 

Like most mornings I get up and start a little reading to get my mind active for the day. As I laid there reading, two of our five cats come up to me wanting attention, one on the floor meowing up at me and the other on the bed behind me. So I reach down and start petting the one cat, Ghost, and with my other hand, start petting Spock (yes, the cat’s name is Spock) who is behind me as I try to continue reading, feeling like a pretzel. As I finished the page I was on (with both of my hands occupied) I start thinking of ways to flip the page: maybe with my nose or blowing slightly on the book. I did not want to stop the purring engines by me.

 

It’s at times like these that I realize that I am spread too thin; in this case literally, sprawled out on the bed doing three things at once. And notice one of the three activities suffers (maybe more if you asked the cats). Multi-tasking is a skill and some folks have it spades and others can’t walk and chew bubblegum at the same time. (I can, because I have tried it years ago).

 

The more you do at once, the less quality goes into each job. If you are in a conversation in a busy restaurant and are talking and looking around at the same time, your conversation suffers. I know because of the angry looks I get from Karen when my speech slows and sometimes I lose my train of thought as my eyes scan the room while talking to her.

 

I try not to multi-task, so what I have learned to do is to do one thing at a time, and change tasks, mid task, to move several of them along, but only one at a time. If that does not help you, then to get a job done right, focus on that task, and then move to the next. In any event, if you feel stressed by doing too much at once, then realize that is a big hint to slow down, regroup and focus.

 

Its okay to do one task at a time if can put more quality into it. Of course you may have deadlines to meet and other real world distractions, but you have a better chance of success when you focus.

 

This will help if you feel stretched too thin.  Sorry got to go another cat wants attention.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!