Multi-tasking: Screwing everything up simultaneously

That's me, Queen of Multi-tasking, the Queen of Screwing Everything Up Simultaneously.

I saw a book title today, when searching for quotes about multi-tasking. It was called "A.D.D. Workplace: How to Survive Your Attention-deficit Office Environment - winning strategies for success in our attention-deficit world." May be good, may be rubbish. It was just the title that caught my eye.

(I'm not for a minute, by the way, suggesting I have Attention-deficit Disorder, which is a very real and challenging condition)

HOWEVER, my life seems to be entirely composed of rushing from one thing to the next. I have everything scheduled so that's SORT OF being organised, but it doesn't occur to me as being organised because of the sense of rushing.

 The sense of rushing = the possibility of making mistakes.

The sense of rushing is what must change, because it's playing havoc with my mind. I CAN get everything done, I HAVE got time - even though I'm very busy and - yes - multi-tasking most of the time. It's the sense of rushing that makes me do things like THIS:

Earlier, I was helping my dear girlie friend, Joanna, who's getting married tomorrow, by taking straw bales in a trailer to the wedding reception venue - for rustic seating. I've only once pulled a trailer. We carefully planned the route so I WOULD NEVER HAVE TO REVERSE.

We got there fine, we unloaded the hay bales fine. My mind was full of rush, rush, rush - on with the next job...

THEN...I realised we had unloaded the haybales and stacked them right in front of Olive Oyl, my trusty Freelander, SO I'd have to reverse the trailer in order to get out of the field!

“I wonder anybody does anything at Oxford but dream and remember, the place is so beautiful. One almost expects the people to sing instead of speaking. It is all . . . like an opera.”

W.B. Yeats said that, my favourite poet - and if anyone's words sing then his do. I'm off to the city of dreaming spires today, very soon (I overslept!)

 I'll try to appear intelligent in the seminar!

I speak two languages, Body and English.

Listen, I don't know who said it first! In years to come, because I've used it as a blog title, it could be attributed to me. Think of that!

Anyway - your choices today are:

Mae West, actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol - died 1980, and Jarod Kintz, author -  born1982 in Salt Lake City. I favour Mae West - because Jarod Kintz altered his version to 'I know two languages...' (sneaky!)

Back to body language.

I was riding Poppy in the field today. She didn't want to go forward. I wanted her to go forward but I didn't want her to go forward too much because then she gets over-excited and bucks and bolts. And that's quite scary. And I don't want to die.

I was CONVINCED my body language wasn't transmitting to Poppy that I was telling her to go (but not really)

Poppy's ears were like this:

My ears aren't that expressive.

I was CONVINCED that I was saying to Poppy 'No, I'm NOT scared. You go forward as fast as you like and I'll be able to cope.' Then I became aware that I wasn't actually breathing very often...

I'm thinking that I'm like this with a project - urging it on when it seems reluctant, but, in reality (and in denial about it) scared to death that it really will take off.

I'll have to get a few lessons in Body from Poppy, that's all...

It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out; it's the grain of sand in your shoe.

First said by Rodan of Alexandria, a Greek philosopher from Alexandria, disciple of Jesus?

Or by Robert W. Service, poet and writer, often been called "the Bard of the Yukon"?

Or someone else entirely?

You choose. 

 

My saying: 'Well, if you WILL climb mountains wearing such RIDICULOUS sandals, then what do you expect? Forget the grain of sand!'

Yes, I've had three little setbacks in my quest for world domination. (Didn't I mention my quest?)

Very easy for me to crawl back under the duvet and feel sorry for myself/sulk/blame others for their blatant idiocy/cry/chew chunks out of my pillow - delete where applicable or add your own examples.

Instead, I'm going to change my ridiculous sandals for THESE:

...and get on up that mountain.

 

BEWARE THE SPIKES, PEOPLE.

 

Why do I keep hitting myself with a hammer?

"Because it feels so good when I stop."

Attributed to Dr. Meredith Grey's-Anatomy, but certainly not as recent as that.

I think it does - but other ways are available!

Today, I've put away my metaphorical hammer and it DOES feel good. Last week was a week to end all weeks in terms of effort put in, hours worked and lack of sleep.

(N.B. Please don't say to me 'you should try working in a salt mine in Senegal. That's REALLY hard work.' I know this.)

There were so many positives, so much learned.

Most of all,

...and I did it with good grace and good humour, which is even better. I KNOW I can always get things done if I set my mind to it but HOW I get things done is another matter.

Another lesson: If I do things to extremes then doing them in a regular way after that seems like a walk in the park.

To put things in context, I generally go to bed between 9 and 10 o'clock - because I get up at 6.30 for the horses. Otherwise, I've been telling myself, I get too tired to function.

Last week's bedtimes: Tuesday - 1 a.m. Wednesday - 1.30 a.m. Thursday - 2 a.m. Friday - 10 p.m (but up extra early to catch train to London) Saturday - 12.30 a.m.

What I noticed was that 12.30 a.m. on Saturday seemed EARLY after the 2 a.m. on Thursday! HOORAY, I'm training myself!

What worked was that I didn't dwell on the fact that I'd had so little sleep. I didn't do my usual thing of thinking 'Woe is me! I've only had three hours sleep. There is NO WAY I can cope with today.' Doing that, in itself, wears me out before I've even started.

I'm not suggesting for a minute that I could carry on with that sort of schedule forever...

 but now I know it's possible.

We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing.

"Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action."

Frank Tibolt (1897-1989) writer, motivator and success trainer.

Hmmmmm, at this precise moment, my brain feels completely empty, drained, blank.

'This is what I'd like to do today,' my brain is telling me.

Instead, I am going to make it work. I have an advertising copy job to do. Due in by tomorrow morning.

I was only given the brief late on Wednesday...but PLENTY of time, eh? That's if I hadn't been writing 'The Screenplay' until 01.37 a.m. on Friday morning, been completely wiped out and dealing with Alfie's injured hoof all day Friday, and coaching up in London all day Saturday - in at 12.30 a.m...

So I'm going to do it today.

I'm hoping against hope that Frank Tibolt is right.

That action DOES generate inspiration.

Otherwise it's going to be a long day.

And night.

Again.

“Scientists tell us that the fastest animal on earth, with a top speed of 120 feet per second,

...is a cow that has been dropped out of a helicopter.”

Or Caroline Coxon, late for a train...

Off to London, coaching all day.