I started writing this blog last night in my head while I was driving home. I was wishing that the truck wasn't a stick shift so that I could floss. (Flossing is one of my favorite things to do while driving). What is it about the "drive time" that makes me think I should be ALSO doing something else? Wasn't that the number one rule in driver's ed? Or was it Blinker, Mirror, Blindspot.... anyhow...
So now I'm actually writing this blog while I'm waiting for my dinner to cook.
Again with the multitasking–what's wrong with watching the water boil? Is it for the fear that it might not boil? Because that's just not true. I've proven that one wrong before. Also, paint does dry, for those of you wondering.
But what is it about multitasking that I seem to be dependent on? Or addicted to? Is it a certain "talent set" that women only seem to posses? That may be true unless you ever catch a guy in a conversation with you while checking his texts and looking at the waitresses' Danish pancakes... but maybe that's a different kind of multitasking...
I know there's a certain thrill in "getting the most accomplished" and being proud of how many tasks can be checked off of a list in the shortest amount of time, but I think I've been taking that too far for the past few years. I started to realize this last fall, when we moved out to the woods. And I mean, the w o o d s. Like way far away from work, from town, from internet, actually-we don't even have a land line out there. On Purpose.
My husband and I are certifiable workaholics, with a tendency towards obsessiveness. These traits come in really handy when your creative project is your band, or your own company, because we both have the drive and ability to work until 4am on a whim. But when you add up those repeated long hours, and throw some business meetings in for the next morning, you get perpetual frustration at "not having enough time" to get things done.
Hence, the NEED for multitasking.
Right?
Well, obviously I'm still coming to terms with this, but I'm not completely certain that that is right.
Maybe not having enough time to do everything you want to do isn't necessarily about multitasking incorrectly, and more about what's on the task list to begin with. Too many obligational tasks? Saying yes to things or timeframes that were unrealistic?
Maybe I just want to do too many things! Everyone always tells us we can do anything we want to do, be anyone we want to be, and I totally agree! Isn't that why we get to live such long lives? I don't want to save all the fun stuff, the play and exploration of new musical and artistic ideas until I'm old, I want to be able to do those now, while I'm healthy! And still have a great body! :) In the same respect, I don't want to have to work too hard when I'm old, because I might be slower, or not able to lift such heavy building supplies or keyboards, so I need to work hard now, while I'm healthy-and still have a great body!
But what does all that stress of "not getting everything done" add up to in this hot bod? Knotted tummy, hard to sleep, hard to wake up, that's not good either. Oh the tug and pull of finding balance is EVER on my mind. Balance is as evasive and ever-changing as the next twitter trend.
This blog post isn't really one that has a conclusion, because that would assume I've found balance and am calmly sitting atop a plateau enjoying both the sunset and the sunrise. But, picturing that, (although beautiful) I don't really ever want to be stuck on a plateau in life. These ups and downs, overly-busy times and complete slumps, these are what give me grit. This is what my stories are FULL of! (so then, do I create this, to have stories with substance?) Maybe. But I also like the trail that I've left behind me.
So with that, let me know--how's your journey? Where does balance live with you?
And, by the way, this new floss both cleans AND leaves essence of cranberries behind, which is a natural plaque fighter! BOOM! Multitasking at it's best.
Labels: design, inventions, music, relax
