From an outsiders point of view it may look like I am a lunatic flying around the house twirling and whirling, but in all actuality I am getting 10 minutes worth of work done in 3 minutes. It is the art of multitasking that I am talking about today. Fortunately I am skilled in this… to some degree that is.
Like with anything there are strengths and weaknesses when it comes to this endeavor. One of the big tricks I can pass on to you is to think ahead as much as you can. It will save you time and running around and who doesn’t want that? When you stay calm and clear you can think of all the things you need to do.
When I have activated “mommy mode” and the tasks are building up I figure out in my head what all needs done and go for it. If I need to go upstairs for something I am taking anything else that needs to go upstairs, putting it away, doing whatever tasks are up there and then coming down with whatever it was that needed to come down. If I am going to the office I will take things, do anything that needs done in there and then bring things out that need to. The garage is a good example. If I head out for the mail I take any coupons or things that need to go in the car out there, drop them off on my way out and then on the way in grab those things out of the garage fridge we need and come in. I just went from three trips to the garage to one. It is not easy to explain. It is a dance with the rhythm of productivity and yes …it can be fun. I do literally twirl and whirl sometimes as I do these things. Give a kid a ride on the stairs, sing and dance. I have told you before I always have music on in this house. It is calming to everyone and can make tense times more gentle and controlled.
I do have my weaknesses when that red button is pressed and I burst forth in multitasking mode. I can talk some, but don’t expect me to carry on a serious conversation! Also, I find if I am running around, in what feels like a tornado of duties, and I see my husband playing Angry Birds over on the couch I might get a little frustrated. So, I would say I might have a heightened irritability during this time as well. I am working on it. No one is perfect.
Those of us that stay home with our families during the day have plenty of time to make mistakes, correct them and try something different until we find what works best. My home is my job right now and I always strive to do the best I can at every job I have. The more I can do in the least amount of time gets me more time with the other things… the good things in life. We all know that there is ALWAYS something to be done, but when you get enough of it done you can feel better about hitting that “pause” button.
Happy Multitasking!
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