So sorry to disappoint, but you’ll find no preamble here about this blog and my intentions with it. These are thoughts I felt like sharing. Here’s the first one:
I’m a habitual multitasker. I’ve noticed I can never just do. It has to be this highly efficient – every movement serves as two “thing”. It’s this insatiable desire to be “doing more” or “consuming”. It’s just a constant split focus. How can this step get me started on the next one? How can I maximize this time?
When I’m cooking I can sauté vegetables while I trim the fat and bones off my chicken thighs. Multitasking has its place but every task doesn’t need to serve a dual purpose. It feels like I’m always running, from one action to another, one thought to the next. Why can’t walking be enough? Both actions get me to the same destination. Even now, my writing has become scribbles in my journal because I’m afraid I’ll forget my thoughts.
A task is something to just get done. For me there’s a sense of urgency associated with the word. But having a practice feels romantic. It feels like the kind of thing allowed to take up space. A practice is worthy of all the time spent. The process is just as important as the result. Anthony Bourdain says, “If you’re too lazy to peel garlic you don’t deserve to eat it.”. We can react to his statement and be offended or really take it in. Bourdain says to take your time, to cook your meal with care. Garlic is the foundation of so many dishes. You don’t need to know fancy techniques or elaborate recipes to make a great meal. But if you get that foundational step right, if you prioritize that step, your dish will be that much better. If you’re able-bodied, take your time. Feel the knife crush the clove. Discard the thin wrapper. Let the blade run through the garlic, time and time again.
Kobe Bryant says, “It’s not about the number of hours you practice, but the number of hours your mind is present during practice.” Do the thing. Be present and focus solely on your actions. Enjoy everything that comes with that experience or don’t. But you’ll know because you weren’t just there, you were present.
Our daily tasks deserve to become practices. Let them take up space and time. Enjoy the process. This year I’m committed to slowing down. I want to know the fullness of my experiences, big and small. I don’t want to be a habitual multitasker.