Multi-tasking is a word everybody knows from the computer systems and it seems, that in our days, not only computers but also human beings are forced to multi-task. Within 24 hours my body, soul and mind has to be in the different places – sitting in Bruxelles but sorting out things in Cape Town, while packing for the flight to Johannesburg via Frankfurt. One suitcase is going directly from Bruxelles to Johannesburg, while another is waiting in Frankfurt to join, deposited before leaving for Belgium as less baggage means faster moving at Bruxelles airport. While checking out of the hotel in Bruxelles I am on the phone with Cape Town, seeing an SMS coming in from Frankfurt.
It’s lent – and time of reflection means also to reflect on the demand, we are facing in our modern world, always to be available, via cell, w-lan, blackberry and there like. Doing one thing at a time seems almost out of fashion – or it seems, that we are only “in ” and “productive” when we can show running on several levels at the same time.
Maybe it is me coming into a certain age, but since a longer time I try to break out of these modern devils circles of proving your value – and I discover that especially when I am on travel, it works out that for a while I am able to shield myself from all those demands. It feels so good just to ignore emails and to concentrate on one task, one meeting, one encounter at a time. And it feels so good to keep time for oneself – and to enjoy those small little islands of just “being” , just having a laugh, just being unproductive, just enjoying a “shit-chat” with a friend, a colleague or even a stranger somewhere on the way…
Lent maybe a time not only to reflect but to strengthen this development and I am sure, for the work, one is doing, less multi-tasking and more “one task after the other” will be beneficial for all on the short, middle and longterm run..
Filed under: General, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, multi tasking
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