In our previous world of on-the-go living, multi-tasking has been heralded as not only the way to get everything done quickly, but also, almost essential to keep up because, you know, on-the-go living.
In our current world of fresh-new-hell-daily living, multi-tasking seems both less- and more-important. Because we’re on fire and the world is on fire and we have to have all of our frantic-worry-bases covered before everything burns to the ground.
The point is, man do I love hyphens.
Before your mind starts to form the thought, yes, I totally know that multi-tasking has been repeatedly proven to make you less good at basically everything because you’re not fully focusing on any of it.
But try telling that to my open computer tabs.
I have a lot of availability, but I’m still failing to get things done because I keep getting distracted. Sidebar ads, remembering that I never did look up that one thing, remembering that I needed to link to something and need the link to link the thing to the thing, online classes, LinkedIn because believe it or not, I’m not complacently collecting unemployment without a care in the world…it’s stupid.
Right now, I have tabs for the following open: StackSkills Microsoft Excel: Beginner to Advanced, Full Tutorial course, Coursera Science of Well-Being lecture (both useful, both helpful), Rothy’s outlet (never owned a pair, have no job, have no need of shoes), Gmail, Outlook mail, calendar (empty), LinkedIn, Indeed (need job, actually helpful), my Freelance by Jen website (to type this), Reddit (I stand by that just, like, always), and two donut-related (Hurts website and Hurts Facebook page).
The problem: not really focusing on any one of them. Well, this, now. But you know what I mean.
My boss told me once, very quietly, that I shouldn’t think about anything else until I finished one thing. He’s not one to mince words, so when he does speak, it seems wiser and shit. For whatever reason, though, something I totally knew felt like brand-new information when he said it. It helped me in many cases, and still re-sets me regularly.
However, he doesn’t live with me and we’re both currently laid off, so remembering is hard.
Remembering all the things I fleetingly thought of once, though, is easy. It’s so easy I do it all the time. Especially when I’m trying to sleep.
Anyway, I think the point is that we can’t fix everything all at once. We’re all doing the best we can right now (well, I mean, really always, but man is right now particularly hard). And it’s natural, I hope, to want to think of anything BUT what’s happening in the country and in the world.
Song of the day: If it’s the Beaches, The Avett Brothers. Well, the beaches certainly aren’t helping right now, but this song will help get you through it. I’ve loved Avett for a long time, and they’re in my top three concerts I really want to attend. Someday.
Donut of the day: this elevated birthday princess from Hurts. I haven’t had a donut in a long time. Too long. Time to change that. Plus, my birthday IS this month, so it’s totally fine.
*Photo courtesy of The Crimson (and it’s perfect)