Single Tasking - The Lost Art

As moms, as professionals, as professional moms, we spend our day multi-tasking. On a conference call, answering emails, approving payables/receivables, I take pride at juggling multiple projects at work.

At home, there is dinner on the stove, laundry going in the basement, scheduling phone calls, and racing cars through the kitchen floor. Right now I am watching basketball, blogging, and "supervising" bath time (and treating myself to a Friday night beer).

But one thing I have grown the appreciate this week is the ability to finally slow down and do one thing at a time - and appreciate the magic of uninterrupted concentration. Being a mom to a sick kid. Doing my taxes in two hours. Reorganizing paperwork. And slowly, methodically working my way through the office to do list of big projects that I have been putting off during the hell quarter because they required attention, and there were just too many fires to put out, too many balls to juggle, too many demands on my time and attention to deal with them.

This week when I got back to my amazingly clean office, I vowed I would make it through the list. One. Thing. At. A. Time.

And learn to say, "Not now." "I am in the middle of something else." "It will have to wait until I finish this project." And the amazing thing? I got my project(s) complete. And people stopped bothering me.

The client who had been struggling is back on track. The July conference outline is complete (and the boss loved it). The major spec book draft is now out. CEUs for the other conference sent off. And it is nice and so satisfying to cross those BIG things off the list.

I feel ready to add more. And something else? I realized that I DO love what I do, AND I am good at it.

As women, we tend to wear our multi-tasking ability like a badge of honor. This coming week, try to single task. It feels good too.

And Now we return to our regularly scheduled programming....

The hell quarter is over!!! I made my to do list for next week, completed a couple of easy tasks, cleaned my office, paid some bills and went for a massage.

Here are some random updates on our little Life:

• Jackson is still doing karate on Saturday mornings.


• Soccer practice starts on Monday. He is very excited. About half of his team is from his preschool class plus two children from his daycare. I am really looking forward to the social aspects of hanging out and getting to know the other parents better.



• We attended a school fish fry tonight, and again I felt like an 8th grader crashing a high school dance. Did run into a few people I knew, but Jackson was finished eating before we got invited to slide down the table to join some of the cool moms with older kids. I was sitting there thinking that in about 5 years, that was going to be us.



• Mom is doing better, but still struggling emotionally at not being able to do all she wants. Docs told her it would be at least 6 months before she would be considered "fully" recovered.



• My sister is coming for a visit in mid-April, and my friend Jenny and her children are coming down in early April. It will be so good to see them both/all.
  
  
• We are growing 4 flats of flowers in the dining room. The original intent was to save money and have a cool weather/spring-longing project for us to do together. It did not save money (it would have been MUCH cheaper to purchase them fully grown, I believe). Jackson liked filling the flats with dirt, but the seed planting was much too tedious for him. We do both enjoy watching our little seedlings grow...






We are dealing with lots of cranky/whiny voice/defiance this week. From both of us. I think we are both ready for some rest and a regular life for awhile.



Watching Jackson on his spidy scooter is hilarious. He whizzes by and likes to do his little tricks with his pushing leg. I now know how he can have a perfectly defined little butt and legs before the age of 4.

I truly hope now that I will get back to some regular posting and look forward to hearing from you (hint, hint, hint!).

Some how in the mean time...

Scott from the beach somewhere in/near LA last week - taunting me!

....I have met a new man on Match, AND really, really like him.

His name is Scott and it is so easy, comfortable, nice, refreshing that it scares me a little in a good way. I am completely relaxed when I talk with him or am with him. He lived a military life, both as a child and as an airforce pilot, traveled the world, did the corporate life, and now flies for one of the major US airlines, living just north of town. He is divorced with an 8 year old daughter, and is trying to get back on full time with the Air Guard here in town so he can be home more for his daughter.

We have managed to squeeze in lunches on days he is not flying and my schedule is not too bad, have had a couple of Wednesday night dinners when Jax is with Dad, and Annaliese is with mom cuz he is leaving on a 6 AM flight the next morning; and he has come over a couple of times the past week for an hour or two and hung out outside with Jackson and I. Jax likes him, and last night we discovered that his cat loves me, despite my not-so-fondness normally of cats.

Timing is hard, and he is still in a massive ugly custody battle with his ex, so on that front, it presents a challenge, but so far, so good. We have been talking/emailing/seeing each other for a month now.

So with my hell quarter wrapping up, I hope to jet off with him for a day here and there, but will see. The spring breakers are filling the planes to the warm destination, and blocked my hopes to be in Cabo tomorrow and Saturday with Scott, but alas, some day my passport might get a stamp.....I know there has been one firmly planted on my heart.

All Clear (Again)

Once again I headed to the cardiologist yesterday. Another ECHO, Another EKG, Another all clear. I don't really get the repeat visit, after the all clear LAST month, but still good to know there is now only a trace of fluid left in the heart (that is not supposed to be there)......

March 20

Yes, we are still alive. I am in my brutal hell month for work. There are photos to show and tales to tell, but I have such limited computer time, they will have to wait.

March 20 is the day after our last big meeting/conference/event of this hell quarter. Hopefully I will have a little time to post this week, but if not, see you all March 20!!!