Chronic rushing through a never-ending to-do list feeds anxiety and heightens stress levels. Our bodies become addicted to rushing and our minds switch into autopilot with everything of high importance and needing to get accomplished quickly.
Research from a journal publication of the International Academy of Business Disciplines titled “To Multitask or Not, That is the Question” notes that multitasking can reduce effectiveness of even the most refined brains. Multitasking is doing several things at the same time, but is it? For example, the study notes that it is virtually impossible to multitask when it comes to paying attention. Furthermore, the study indicates how people who are interrupted take 50 percent longer to accomplish a task and tend to make up to 50 percent more errors.
Although I am a high energy, see the possibilities in the impossible, let’s do this type of person I found myself rushing throughout the day to ‘get it all done.’ In reality I was multitasking myself into a mess of ineffectiveness by choosing to add so much to my plate that I literally ran from one thing to the next. I was on a cycle of being reactive instead of proactive because I had lost my vision and clarity for each task. With a reactive mindset, goals blur, balls get dropped and my capacity to be intellectually and emotionally available began to diminish.
This had to change. I had to change.
Over the past several years I’ve experienced many changes as I’ve transitioned from one chapter to the next. The one constant through all of the learning and change has been the acceptance of all that I am. Embracing and focusing on my strengths, giving myself grace for occasional side steps and the acknowledgement of knowing how much I can handle in a day without getting caught up in a constant cycle of rushing. When I found myself needing to do work two or 3 times over because I didn’t do it right the first time, I began to see the value of patience and prioritizing and the cost of rushing.
Slowing down to achieve more and taking your time to do a job well done will give you a much-needed break from the constant hustle of the daily grind. If you’ve ever felt pressured by your to-do list and all the things you think you need to do, hopefully this writing will give you the permission you need to set yourself free.
Stop. Breathe deeply, quiet your inner-chatter, and take a moment to simply be. You’ve got this!