Multitasking doesn't exist

I don't recall where I first heard (possibly read) that multitasking doesn't exist. Whatever the case, I was intrigued. I pride myself in being an efficient multitasker. It's the only way I could have possibly accomplished my most Wonder Woman-esque of moments. However, the claim that tripped my thinking was this: No person is truly capable of "multitasking" because a person can only do one thing at a time.

Your initial reaction might be much like my own: I disagree because I'm eating a snack, talking on the phone, reading about this and checking Facebook AND e-mail all at the same time. So think about it a little more, then react again. In this very second, are you actively eating, listening/talking, reading or checking accounts? As humans, we are capable of doing only one thing at a time. We fool ourselves into thinking that switching back and forth between several tasks efficiently helps get things done. But does it?

An article appeared about this in the recent September issue of Real Simple. The author's goal was to spend an entire month unitasking only. As I began reading the article, I had the TV on. I felt a twinge of "turn it off and just read" which I didn't listen to. Until I had switched back and forth between reading and watching too many times to count. This man had something to say and I wanted to take it in, so off the TV went. Then, when I was done, I sat in silence. Relaxing. Usually my "relaxing" happens with TV on or Brylee running around or pen and paper in hand or... You catch my drift, I even turn relaxation into a multi-athalon.

Unitasking is inspiring... and obtainable. My stress knots hold promises of gently lifting from my shoulders and the tenseness in my neck hints at relief even as I think about it. How nice would it be to play with Brylee and not care about anything else? No laundry, no work, no TV. How much could I get done if I focused on cleaning? Not just picking up this and that as I run through my other tasks. What could I do with 2 hours of work unhindered by distractions on ApartmentTherapy or Craigslist or the 4 other tabs opened in Internet Explorer? Would it still all get done in a day? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, wouldn't life be better?

The unitasking challenge becomes my own. I will open only one internet tab at a time (very few exceptions apply). I will watch a TV show only if I am interested in actually watching the TV show. I will do chores with no other distractions when it's time to do chores. I will play with Brylee when it's our playtime. I will focus on Daniel when we're alone. I will involve myself in each task as it happens. I will no longer be a multitasking Wonder Woman. I will be Trina Cress that loves living in the moment.