We're coming up at the end of the year and I'm wondering how you did on your New Years Resolutions from 2009? I only made one resolution for the whole year: STOP MULTITASKING.
I guess I should explain. Last year, my mom and I were coming back from the movies (I'm blessed that she lives in my neighborhood just down the street!). She was driving, which was rare because she prefer I drive these curvy country roads, but I was on the phone trying to hold a deal together. I was frustrated, distracted - the whole "holding a deal together meltdown". I'm sure you know it. Anyway, a young girl driving a big truck came around a corner very, very fast (I looked her in the eye - she was directly in front of us and we were headed for a head-on collision - and she was ON THE PHONE). Mom went off the road to our right side to avoid the collision and the girl swerved (over-corrected) to her right where she went off the road and broke her front axle. My mom was smart and kept the two wheels on her side on the pavement so just the two wheels on the passenger side went off the road. Mom has a Cadilac and it handles awesome but she had to run over this metal post sticking out of the ground and go somewhat into the ditch (and there was about $9000 damage to her car!). Thank God nobody was hurt, but I was shaken up for WEEKS afterwards. Why? All I could think of was how many times I was distracted and on the phone while driving, much of the time with my sweet 6 year old son in the back seat. If I had been driving, we would be dead because there is no way I could have been focused enough to avoid that head on collision. No way.
I decided at that moment that the bluetooth wasn't such a hassle after all and I really examined my life and how frustrated and distracted I was most of the time trying to do everything for and be everthing to everyone. I decided that if my son wanted to talk to me on the way home from school, I would listen intently. I decided not to be on the phone in the car if I wasn't hands free. I decided when I was at work, I was AT work. When I was at home, I was AT HOME. No more trying to do research and cook dinner at the same time while my son was begging for my attention, my husband was trying to talk to me, the emails kept coming, etc. Enough.
Has it worked? Mostly. There isn't any way to NEVER multitask. Sometimes, that's just part of life. But where it's important, I've drawn the line and I - and my family - are all the better for it. Has my work suffered? Not one bit. I really thought there would be a huge conflict when I set business hours, etc., but it's been fine and honestly, it has been better than ever. I am so focused on my clients (not 100% all the time....nobody's perfect!) that I feel like I'm giving much better service. I sleep better. I feel better.
So, for 2010 I'm keeping that resolution. We are here on Earth for a short time - LIVE it.
Charlotte
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