No Longer Majoring in Minors (written 2 years ago)

Multitasking!  What a word.  How many can go through a week without saying it....with pride?  How many are doing it constantly?  How many know that you couldn't get your many tasks done without multitasking?  These are questions that the book 7 has made me ponder.  That is what is great, or NOT SO great about a "thinker" book (my word).  No two people get the exact same thing out of it.  This is something I have been simmering on for a year, but the book brought it back up front and center for me to chew on a bit longer.  I am not sure how to answer any of the questions I asked and yet I feel God calling me to the task to do just that.

As a mom, wife, friend,  and the list goes on for all of us, how do I NOT multitask?  I don't think doing multiple things is wrong, but multitasking to the edge of insanity is.  We are not working smarter here, but harder.  There are studies that show our generation of multitaskers is smart and yet masters nothing. WOW! Did you get that? We are marginally good at lots of things and yet fail at something great.  Argh!  Parenting?  Home schooling? Keeping our homes? Preparing meals? Staying fit?  Being a true friend?  Oh boy...

.I am failing.

 Like I said....some things I can do good every now and then, but what about consistency?  As I write this my kids are doing school. I left the kitchen half way clean. The laundry is partially done, and a multitude of other things are undone and I can't even remember what they are.  Now, I realize that some things can't be completed.  I can't continue folding laundry while the baby is screaming to be fed. I then am called to help my 4th grader with math while I am cleaning the kitchen and he must be the priority at that point.  I get all of that, but

I wonder if I haven't majored in the minors.

Where is it breaking down?  Do I make a list and follow it?  Or do I have lists that have lists and I haven't the faintest idea where the lists are?  Do I prioritize properly and follow through?  Where am I getting bogged down?  Where is God in all of this?  Okay, wait a minute.  I KNOW where He is.....but do I acknowledge HIM and keep Him front and center in my daily routine?

I must learn to do multiple things without losing the big picture.  I must prioritize better and plan better and follow through better.  I must not get lost in details.  If I keep my house thinned out (get rid of junk), my schedule to a minimum for the family and the season of life, and follow through then things can go more smoothly.  ADD is created for many of us.  We set ourselves up for it by trying too hard to do too many things and do them all well.  It is a recipe for disaster. BI-Polar? I think we create that as well.  Don't go postal on me. I believe in bi-polar, for crying out loud, this diagnosis alone will feed my family with my husband being a counselor. I just think we set ourselves up for failure more times than we actually fail.

When I am scurrying around I miss the really big moments.  I miss when my son comes to me with his birthday list of people he wants to invite written in robot script. He was excited and proud and I dashed his excitement when I told him, "later".  I was simply answering an email that was NOT important and I hurt him.  He felt like he wasn't important and my email recipient couldn't have cared less.  I blew it.  I don't want to blow it any more. I am watching this multi-tasking thing. I am tossing it out. I am attempting to change it. I may get less done. I may appear less productive, but

I must not miss the BIG things while attending to lots of meaningless little things.