Waiting for The Kettle to Boil

When I read this post by brillant writer, and friend, Colleen Friesen, I had to smile. Not only because I pictured her tripping over paint rollers while dashing back to her laptop to finish off the last bit of her blog post, but because I can SOOO relate. But can’t we all? Haven’t we all said to ourselves, “If only there was more time in the day”?

But, as Colleen so aptly shared

“There is always the exact amount of time.”

Let me introduce myself. Hi. I’m Gwen Morrison. I’m a multi-tasker.

I don’t think I have the ability to do nothing. To sit. To think. To just be.

While showering, I MUST scrub down the shower walls. And why wouldn’t I? I’m already wet and I’m in the shower. Why wouldn’t I take that opportunity to knock that baby off my to-do list?

And when the kettle’s boiling, isn’t that the perfect time to check emails on my iPhone and whip up a banana loaf? I mean, what else would I do? Watch the water boil? You know what they say about that!

A good example of multi-tasking gone wrong happened during a time when the kettle was boiling as a matter of fact. I filled the pot and clicked the button. Then, turned the water on to fill the sink full of water to wash the 2 plates and 3 cups that just HAD to get washed that very moment. While I waited for the kettle to boil, and the sink to fill up with water, I rushed to my computer to check my email. Thinking I’d fire off a quick response to an (important) message, I drafted an email and sent off. Then, hopped on Facebook to see if I missed anything Then, the phone rang and I chatted with a client for at least 4 or 5 minutes.Flipped back over to my email to see if I had another response to original email — and then I heard the sound.

When did I put wash in? There was a definite slushing sound coming from the somewhere. My heart sped up and I rushed to the kitchen (now fully aware of my multi-tasking mistake) –as water poured from the sink, down the cabinets, across the floor, underneath the door into the basement.

The kettle was bone dry. The kitchen a wet mess.

So, I challenged myself this year to focus on just ONE THING AT A TIME… and it’s not working very well. Idle hands = idle minds and all of that. I just can’t bring myself to being in any shape or form, dare I say it …

UNPRODUCTIVE.

And so as I read Colleen’s post, I felt myself physically exhale. I’m truly not giving myself enough slack. There is enough time in the day…I just need to reset my expectations. Prioritize and categorize and all that good stuff. Who needs banana bread anyway? White flour is bad for you. Eat the banana instead, children. Better for you.

So today, while the water in the kettle heats up, I’ll just stop. Breathe. Listen to life.

photo credit: Brett Jordan via photopin cc