Multitasking: The Demise of Our Culture

I've said it for as long as I can remember: the only people who have any business multitasking are bartenders and waiters. Everyone else is just screwing up.

I still believe that.

Bartenders and waiters must multitask if they are to be any good at their jobs. As a bartender, you've got to be able to make several drinks at once, hear the next order coming in, acknowledge the new folks walking through the door, let them know you'll be "right with you", and then....deliver drinks, pick up empties, take more orders, fill orders for your waiters, and then....all over again. It ain't easy if you don't have the ability to focus. I know this because I was a bartender for many years. And I was a damned good one.

Waiters are pretty much in the same boat; only with slightly different tasks. But overall, it's the same deal. You've got to have a good memory, fantastic focus, and, if you want to make any kind of decent money, a terrific personality. You can't let the Cranky Pants get you down. You can't let the temperamental chefs fuck with your flow. You must must must stay calm, keep smiling, and remember every word, request, new seating, what's coming, what's done, and keep 'em all happy while you're doing all that. Again, not even close to "easy". Unless you're built for it.

As for all the rest, near as I can tell, if you're trying to do more than one thing at a time, you are more than likely doing every one of those tasks half-assed. People like to think they can multitask well, but mostly...they aren't even close to good at it. And there's a very good reason for this:

Your brain just isn't wired for focusing on more than one thing at a time.

Period.

How bartenders and waiters can do what they do, especially if they're really good at it, defies physiology. It really does. I'm not going to cite all the hundreds of proofs there on the matter, (you can look it up yerself if'n you don't believe me; and don't bother with the critique of those spellings. It's all on purpose.), but you can believe that I've done my homework on the subject. Why?, you ask? (okay.. maybe you didn't ask; I'm going to tell you anyway.) Because I really dislike when I read someone's "opinion" on a matter, and then find out that it was just that: an opinion. I prefer to read stuff that is based on facts, regardless of how fleeting said facts may be. In any case, I'm saying that I've done my homework on this particular subject and the proof is in the pudding:

Your brain just isn't wired for multitasking.

So then...why does everyone continually insist on it? Why do so many employers insist on it? Why, for Pete's sake, do we continue to argue that it can be done when the vast majority of us have experienced the downside of anyone's attempts?

For instance: call any one of a million large companies to get assistance and you will most likely be met with an automated response that will ask where you want to go, who you want to speak with, what your issue is, who you are, where you live, what your account number is, etc., etc.., etc....and then...put you on hold. Then, you get to wait for anywhere from five to forty-five minutes (ever tried calling the DMV???) listening to the most awful Muzak on the planet. All the while you're on hold, there are various other recordings that do their best to direct you to their website, or sell you something, or tell you (for the eightieth time) that "someone will be with you shortly", or, my personal favorite....simply disconnect the call.

AAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!

If and when you finally get a "real person", the first thing they do is ask you all the same shit you were asked by the RoboVoice at the beginning of the call. And then....they put you on hold. Again. By the time they get back to you, if you haven't thrown the phone out the window by then, you've forgotten what the hell you were calling for. Why? Because while you waited you cleaned out your closets, washed the kitchen floor, bathed the dog, watered your plants, and wrote the first five chapters of your next book. How the hell should I know why I called? Didn't I tell you that already?

Admittedly, that may not be the best analogy. I got a little carried away. As I am prone to do when I am passionate about something. But this also proves my point: whilst I was ranting, I got lost in the rant and allowed my train of thought to go where it wanted. Akin to trying to do more than one thing at once. I was trying to make a point, then tell you a story to prove the point, then...I got distracted by the story.

{I have not been a bartender OR a waiter for more than a decade. Those skills are long lost. Thank the gods!}

Anyway, the proof is all around us. Customer Service in the majority of businesses is a joke. The "quality" of goods/products we buy these days is of the poorest quality. The education system in the U.S. is the worst in history. Our kids are leaving high school and can't read, let alone build a sentence properly. They can't do simple math. Or figure out logic problems. Our teachers are being blamed but the real reason for this sad state of affairs is that they've got too many kids and not enough tools. They, too, are being demanded to multitask at a rate that would flat out kill the weakest humans. There are countless examples of this deadly social phenomenon. And if we don't do something about it soon, we're going to lose the ability to do anything well...including think. You see, it turns out that multitasking actually takes on toll on the intellect.

Gee.

Go figure.

Short of continuing this rant, I must find a way to come 'round to the Joy part. Because, after all, that is the primary reason for this Blog (remember?!) And were I to leave it to rest now, you'd be left in the lurch. Where the hell is she going? What happened to Joy is a CHOICE?!

So here it is:

We would be wise to understand that multitasking is taking its toll on our culture and our brains. We would be wise to embrace SINGLEtasking, if we are to find the quality in our lives that is so sorely missing. We can enjoy and even embrace the technology that allows us to do more than one thing at once, but that same technology would serve us even better if we were to use it with focus. Instead of opening ten tabs at a time, how about just one? How about close FaceBook and Twitter and Instagram and eBay while you're looking for the information you need to be an informed buyer before you lay down thousands of dollars on that dandy new car you've been wanting? Or maybe get off the Internet entirely while you open your Word software and write a letter to your sweet old Auntie. Perhaps you could even brave an entire day without getting online. {Take a breath here, Darlin'. It's just a suggestion. No need to panic.} Really though...when was the last time you spent an entire day OFF the Internet? Or your Smartphone? Or your Tablet? How do you suppose your Life might benefit from actually being HERE for a day, instead of flitting about Cyberspace every freakin' waking minute?

The Joy you get to choose here is using technology without having it run your Life. Spend some time outside. In the sunshine. With the trees and the birds and the wind blowing through your hair. Take a walk. Sit on the beach and watch the waves roll in. Stroll down the shore and pick up some shells. You know. Stuff we used to do before we had our heads buried in a screen, taking "Selfies" and telling the world every flippin' detail of our lives. Remember that?

Therein lies the Joyful Choice {should you choose to....}

Amen.

train your focus (oh yes you CAN!)

Surely there is something, one reliable thing, that always brings a smile to your heart when you see or hear or think about it. That something that always, no matter what else is going on, will shift your mood in an instant. Your child. You dog...or cat...or whatever critter you happen to have in your world. Maybe it's your favorite song. Or that pair of jeans that feel so good when you wear them. That time you were with your love...out on a mountain top or sitting in the sand, toes wiggling in the waves. Maybe it's your special tree...the one that makes you feel connected to all that is good and right. Or perhaps it is as simple as a rose about to bloom in your garden. It doesn't matter what it is, surely there is something that always brings a smile to your heart.

What if...

Every single morning, just before you slip out of bed and land your feet on the floor, you were to think about that thing first. Think about it long enough to see it in your mind's eye and let that smile slide onto your beautiful face. See it so clearly that you could reach out and touch it, whether it is a "thing" or a "thought". Touch it...and let it wash over you as a warm summer rain refreshes your hot, tired skin. And then....

Get out of bed and begin your day. Keep that feeling with you as you make your way to the bathroom to brush your teeth and have your morning shower. Hold on to it as you prepare your breakfast and then sit quietly to enjoy your first repast of the day. Tuck it into your pocket as you dress and head out the door for work. Keep it close with you, all the day through. Even when you're stuck in traffic. Or sitting in yet another boring meeting. Or face to face with that co-worker who always seems to ruin your mood. Carry it with you like a treasured gem, guarding it as you would a newborn child. Guarding it with your Life.

If you would do this, each and every morning, without fail or hurry, you would begin to see a shift that will alter the course of your Life in ways you could not ever have imagined. You would begin to see more things that bring a smile to your heart; and a fading of all things unpleasant. The person who makes you crazy would soon disappear from your experience. The worries that troubled you for so long would fade into nothingness, as the morning fog fades with the Sun's arrival. All the things that brought you tension and/or stress would fall away as easily as a dead leaf falls from the tree. Your world would become so full of miracles you would wonder why you waited so long to wield this simple practice. The practice of FOCUS.

It is not nearly as hard to do this as it is to walk through your day trying to evade the spoilers. Your ability to focus is directly related to your Joy...because the more you focus on what makes you feel GOOD, the less you will find that makes you feel anything less than good. It sounds ridiculously simple, doesn't it? Then tell me why...you do not practice? Why do you dismiss the Joy that is your right? Why do you insist on allowing "them" to push your buttons and unravel your world? Do you suppose it is because you do not feel worthy of such a Life? Or do you think it is impossible to live the Joy that you came here to live?

I wonder why so many find it so hard to honor themselves.

Whaddya think?

affirmations and other such "nonsense"...

"There is only a stream of well-being".....

Before you think about that, check your gut. How does that statement make you feel? How resistant are you to this idea? Was your reaction, "Yea. Right."? Or was it, "I can  feel that. It's truth. There is only a stream of well-being."

I pose this today because it has become clear to me that when such thoughts are relayed, should you be in a place of "less-than", words like that can really get your shorts in a twist.

On the other hand...should you happen to be in your groove, for any reason whatsoever, such words can lift you up and take you further into your groove.

Yes or no?

Here's what I mean:

You know all those zillions of "affirmation cards" that seem to be available everywhere? The ones that have those fun images and phrases like, "I am a powerful Creator. Everything comes easily to me." Or, "I am an Abundant Being. Money flows to me with no effort." Or some such.

I recall the first set of such cards I received from a dear friend many years ago. They were by Louise L. Hay of "You Can Heal Your Life" fame (among other things). The cards were nicely laminated with bright, colorful drawings and affirmations for just about everything under the sun. They came in a very sturdy little box that looks good on the shelf and keeps the cards 'safe'. As soon as I got them, I made a few cool little card holders out of some exotic wood scraps I had in my workshop. Then I carefully chose spots where I'd see the cards all day long, reminding me to "state my affirmation".

But I also remember that I was in a pretty icky place at the time. My usually-optimistic attitude had been overshadowed by a very unfamiliar cynicism. Not the best of places to live in. So every time I'd see one of the cards I'd chosen for the day, and try to use the affirmation with gusto, I'd get this loud voice in my head saying, "Yea. Right. What a bunch of crap."

After a while, I put those cards back in the box and put the box on a shelf. Didn't touch them for a long time. Every now and then, I'd dust off the box and wonder, "How come it doesn't work for me?" It was a giant
tug-of-war between me and Me. But for some reason, I never got rid of them. Just kept dusting them and putting them back on the shelf.

Then, not long ago, I heard something that really got my attention. It was Abe, talking about those "silly affirmation cards" that they'd recently made available. They were standing there, reading the affirmations and then making fun of the whole idea. It was hysterically funny. I watched that video several times, completely amused by their antics and feeling the shift as they talked about why those affirmations could never work unless you were already in a space of "allowing". In other words, if you're in a funk, there isn't an affirmation in the world that's gonna change anything. First you have to get yourself in the good-feeling place; then you can say your affirmations and feel them resonate. Made sense to me.

The thing that was so fun about the whole experience was that they purposely (and quite sarcastically) teased about their "product". They told everyone listening, "Don't buy these cards. They're not going to help you until you make up your mind to change what you're thinking...and how you feel." Shocking stuff to say about one's own products, doncha think?

But the best thing about it was that I finally realized "why" those affirmations never worked. I finally saw how futile such practices are...if I'm not deliberately focused. And really, no cards are needed. No mantras or prayers or Books of Revelations are necessary for each of us to find our groove and work our 'magick'. The magick is all around us. It's inside of us. It IS us. The only reason we don't see the results of said magick is because we're too busy fussing and worrying over dumb stuff that distracts our attention from that flow of well-being. It's really that simple.

How do I know?

Cuz I'm living it. NOW. I'm living it every single day and I can tell you this:

It's a WHOLE LOT EASIER than you may think.

So then...

where do YOU wish to focus your attention?