Spread Too Thin - The Sin of Multitasking (Part Deux)

Spread Too Thin - The Sin of Multitasking (Part Deux)

We should readjust our priorities to be proud not of how much we get done but what we’re able to achieve with a sense of enjoyment.^a—Alexandra Stoddard

MULTITASKING, as defined by Merriam-Webster’s, is the concurrent performance of several jobs by a computer.^b So here’s the problem! Multitasking isn’t something that was even designed for us; it’s a function of a computer—not a human being. No wonder we’re spread too thin. We need a reboot.

A life well lived is clearly a life lived with thoughtfulness. So in order to harness my tendency toward multitasking, I now plan my day knowing that I will reflect back on how I invested my fixed time and energy. The helmet of protection against my sin of multitasking is knowing that, at the end of each day, I will ask myself these questions:

What did I accomplish today that brought me great satisfaction?

Specifically, what was one thing I delighted in?

What did I accomplish today that was excellent?

What did I do to the very best of my ability that I am proud of?

What did I accomplish today that will have a profound effect on another human being?

What did I do today that is bigger than me and my personal agenda?

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Doing less could mean more—not only for others but for you. Focus your attention on the few things that will really matter at the end of the day: your personal delight, your achievement of excellence, and your contribution to other people.

^a Alexandra Stoddard, You Are Your Choices: 50 Ways to Live the Good Life (New York: Collins Living, 2006), 111.

^b Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed s.v. “multitasking.”