Should You Multi-Task?

I have a love-hate relationship with multi-tasking.

Productivity experts preach about the evils of multi-tasking and how it divides your attention, takes more time to switch tasks, and drains your energy faster than single-tasking.

But have they ever met a working mom?!?

If you could see me in the mornings before school/work, you would see a multi-tasking queen!

I serve breakfast while drinking coffee, unloading the dishwasher, moderating arguments, reviewing my calendar, and planning my day.

It can feel a little chaotic and crazy but it's my routine and I've come to expect it.

I know that each of these tasks is going to get interrupted constantly and it's no big deal. It's the only way for me to get through the morning without waking up even earlier than I already do.

But, if I'm not planning on multi-tasking, if I'm expecting focused, single-tasking time, I feel just agitated, scattered, and sometimes angry.

Take yesterday. I woke up expecting to have a full workday of writing, coaching, and working in the quiet of my house.

And then I heard the coughing and saw the runny noses and knew it was never meant to be!

Maybe you're dealing with this right now in the thick of winter.

In the past, I would've tried to work as much as I could. Carrying my phone and laptop with me as I followed my kid from activity to activity trying to squeeze in as much work as possible. Wanting to appear "available" and responsive even though my attention was clearly distracted.

Those days always ended with this feeling of guilt and not being enough.

Not enough work got done because I was expecting myself to produce as if I had childcare and not enough attention for my kid because I was so distracted by work.

And then of course the guilt that came with telling myself I'd let everyone down, myself included.

Now I know everyone's PTO and work situations are different, and what works for one doesn't work for another, but I want you to consider what's actually possible in these types of scenarios.

What are your expectations of yourself?

Could you show up in a more present and productive way if you single-tasked? Be a mom when you're being a mom and double-down on producing work when it's time to work?

Yes - it might mean rescheduling meetings, delaying a project, or (gasp) doing less.

And - it might also mean extra screen time so you can reply to some emails while watching Encanto.

But it might also mean feeling less scattered, frantic, or agitated because you're choosing to focus.

You're deciding what's MOST important to get done, and you're using the little time you have to complete it, quickly. And then you're doing what was always the plan for today (you just didn't know it yet) - being home with a sick kid.

Navigating the "unexpected" is something I coach all of my clients on, again and again. Because it's not easy. Not being in control is hard. But you can and will learn. And this will be who you are and how you respond if we work together.

My private coaching is always available for you when you're ready. You can learn more here and schedule time to talk here.