Slow down. One thing at a time.
The other day, I lost a significant sum of money. Not in the stock market, but actually misplaced or lost all of my daughter’s tip money that I was holding for her until we could get to the bank. How could I just loose hundreds of dollars!? I’m still hopeful that I put it somewhere safe and it will turn up, but I can’t find it anywhere… along with her bank card. It’s eating me up inside. I’ve been consumed with guilt—how could I be so careless?
Well, I know how: I do too much and multitask all the time!
I’m constantly buzzing around from one thing to another, attempting to be productive and get everything done. Can you relate? I usually travel with my hands full, dropping things, and feeling slightly scattered most of the time. For what? Why? What’s the benefit of this? This month, I’m looking inward to figure out why I am misplacing things when I am a fairly organized person. Without beating myself up over it anymore, I’m trying to find a solution so that my future self and everyone else around me can benefit from what this event has taught me: SLOW DOWN AND STOP DOING SO MUCH!
Now, this is a task for many of us, and I will have to practice; what I have been reinforcing is the opposite. I rush around under the illusion that this ‘productivity’ will fill me with pride and a sense of accomplishment, when really, a lot of what I’m getting done is unnecessary. What if I only scheduled two or three things in a day so that I could truly be present and focused on what I’m doing and do it well? What would that look like? To stay focused and on task?
I’ve joked that I am the queen of puttering around, which means “to occupy oneself in a desultory but pleasant manner, doing a number of small tasks or not concentrating on anything particular.”
I have also blamed my lack of attention on menopause in the past. I am not interested in giving up my power and my ability to learn and develop skills such as focus and attention. So as much as I am for honouring these life changes and accepting them, I also think the skill of attention and awareness is something that just takes desire and practice.
June can be a month of a lot of fun, but also can be chaotic. There is often SO much going on, and so many social engagements and things to remember. Sometimes I’m at one event, all the while thinking about the next, rather than fully being present with where I am.
I want to live connected and aware. Here’s how I plan to do it:
- Cut my to-do list in half and be okay with that.
- Turn off all notifications on my phone so that I am less distracted by the dings and pings pulling my attention away from the task at hand.
- Dedicate more time to sleep. Make sure going to bed is a priority. We all know a well-rested brain works better than one that isn’t.
- Start up my meditation practice again! I’ve let this slide, and I know I’m better focused when I start my day with the foundation of a meditation under my belt. (I’m back at it and on day two!)
- Slow down my physical body so that I notice what’s happening to and around me.
- Do ONE thing at a time. Prioritize…
As I embrace this mantra, I hope to cultivate a more intentional and mindful approach to my daily life. Slowing down and doing one thing at a time might just be the key to not only finding that lost money, but also finding a deeper sense of peace and fulfillment.
By Nicole Whitman
UPDATE: By the time this blog was posted, the money had been found!