I am a recovering multi-tasker and not always so much in recovery. For years, I truly believed that if you can do more than one thing at a time, that was always the better option.
That if you can do several things at a time you simply get more done and save more time.
It’s only in the last few years that I have realized the folly of my ways!
It was late at night, I was on a training call, one of about 35 people dialed in from around the world. The trainer was one of my favorites, she always had a word of wisdom or a real story to throw into the discussion to bring is alive and create connection.
I was dead tired. I had been up with one child or another all of the previous night. And I had gone straight into work and house chores all day. That’s what work felt like those days…chores.
I saw the call as the perfect opportunity to clear out my inbox, work on my accounting and make some to-do lists. So I got busy.
My headset was on. I checked in with the call and said hi to everyone.
Then I started to get busy, listening all the time.
I have to say, I did get my inbox cleared and my accounts finished. Just then I realized that it was the end of the call. The call leader asked for final input. I noticed that I hadn’t commented at all throughout the class.
Then she asked me directly what I had taken from the materials. I quickly glanced at the class title. It was ‘presence’ in coaching.
I responded, it makes me realize how important it is to be truly present. She agreed and finished the call.
At first I felt like a total fraud. I mean, I had lied to her. I was so distracted in my multi tasking I hadn’t even hear the call.
Then I realized, that was my lesson.
My distraction had created absence. And now I realized the true value of presence, because I had missed out on this opportunity to be there.
It was a valuable lesson, I’m still learning.
How are you doing with ‘presence’ vs. multi-tasking?
Have you missed out on something you regretted because of lack of presence?
Such a great reminder, Lisa–thanks. I catch myself multi-tasking when bored or stressed. It is ongoing work to gently rein myself in and bring myself back to the unitary present–where all the goodies are!
Absolutely Lorraine, I love it – ‘the goodies’!
I think I have to do it all at once and multi task. I am retraining my head to say lets work on this piece this morning and then this other one in the afternoon. I prioritize what I need to work on first then second and I am moving through pieces of the puzzle(my business) so that I can get clients and I know that sharing my story will play a part in that since I am a food allergy coach and decided to do it because of what I went through and the long journey it can seem like so I want to empower others in t hat journey and help them. I still sometimes get lost in the fb.. but that is getting better too.
sounds like a great method Connie, thanks for commenting! Best wishes, Lisa
Yes, I feel as though I miss out on my life entirely because of my lack of presence.
Hey Lena, it’s never too late to start a ‘practice’ of developing presence…awareness is always the first step. Best wishes, Lisa
Oh, somehow this sounds SO familiar. I can not think of something where I "missed out", but I certainly have had to do a bunch of things twice cause I tried to multi-task and had to redo stuff. Crazy how hard it is to be mindful about how you do things, right?!
absolutely Ursula