Today I want to talk about one of the biggest fallacies out there, especially with bringing your Fearless Vision to life.
Here we are at the beginning of the year, and I imagine you have a LOT going through your mind. You may even be feeling pressure to “get things done” and “move forward”. This is usual and normal for this time of year, and yet I imagine with all you have dealt with in the last two years, you may be feeling even more of an urgency to take action.
I get it! I’ve definitely hit the ground running in the last two weeks, but I have to say that things have felt even more chaotic, more out of control and at the end of last week, I just felt so scattered.
So, if you are looking at your To Do’s and feeling pulled in a million directions, I want to break a huge myth that has been passed down, and offer a truth to help you access your power.
Multitasking is damaging to your vision.
The myth that has been passed down is that multitasking is effective and will allow you to get more things done. This myth is really much more based in a patriarchal model that values productivity over well being, and that success comes when you are able to “do it all”.
But the truth is, multitasking is actually a barrier to your creative process, and accessing your unstoppable confidence. It is also damaging to your brain.
So, what is multitasking? According to Thomas Dunsmore, a counselor on mental health with Human Connections, multitasking is trying to do more than one task at the same time.
Dr. David Myer from the University of Michigan shares, “as long as you’re performing complicated tasks that require the same parts of the brain, and you need to devote all that capacity for these tasks, there just aren’t going to be resources available to add anything more.”
Many studies have shown that multitasking can not only alter the actual grey matter of your brain, but increase anxiety, long term and short term memory loss, and chronic stress. Simple reason? The multitasking takes up all your brain’s energy. It’s literally depleting your supply, and that affects your ability to make decisions, and deal with strong emotions.
This is a myth I know deeply, as I bought into the success model in my former career. Prior to my divorce, I prided myself on being a multitasker. I thought it was my superpower! I had no idea that all my bouncing around was actually creating a time bomb just waiting to go off. As my marriage was falling apart and I was feeling so stuck in my career, I found I was lying more, heavily drinking, watching hours of TV every night, and crying in the shower because I felt so overwhelmed with my emotions.
I was beyond depleted. Which is probably why I had such a strong voice come up inside me when my then husband said he didn’t want to be married anymore that said, “you need meditation.”
Meditation was the first time in my life I had a tool that taught me how to create a single focus. And it all began with the simple act of counting my breath. And it felt like a GIANT sigh of relief for my whole being. I couldn’t keep living the way I was. My brain was exhausted, and in turn, my life was breaking down. And I found I could no longer multi-task. Literally. It hurt, and I now could see how my multi-tasking had actually been a way of running away from my life.
So, what is the antidote to multi-tasking?
Presence.
It’s the ability to be where you are in the moment and give your attention to what is happening in front of you. Sounds simple, and is actually our most important practice in bringing your Fearless Vision to life. Because your vision matters, it’s like a beautiful sacred seedling that needs care. And care is really another word for attention. Much like the mother to a newborn child, presence is what allows the child to grow. Bringing anxiety to the child only creates more anxiety, and stunts growth.
As creating presence is really a lifelong practice, I want to give you two steps today to begin your journey.
1) Notice when you are multi-tasking. Give yourself the space and awareness to say, “wow, I’m trying to do more than one thing at once.” Do this with compassion. Release judgement, and allow it to be something you notice. Approaching the habit this way is far more loving and allows more room for change and making a new choice.
2) Incorporate some kind of presence practice daily that allows you to focus on one task at a time. A great place to do this is with brushing your teeth. What if you took those two minutes to just place all your focus on actually brushing your teeth? Feel the bristles on your enamel, feel the vibration of the toothbrush against your gums, and perhaps even take in the taste of your toothpaste. You can also try this with washing the dishes. Place all your attention on the water and soap and you handle each dish or utensil. Or, you can simply sit and place all your attention on your breath. Nothing else. Just the in and out of air through your body.
What’s vital with both of these offerings is they create SPACE. Space where prior you may have been running around and feeling like you are being controlled and dictated by your To Do’s. These offerings put you back into the present moment, back in your body, and connect you to your power.
My invitation for the next week is to try these on. You can even write a little sticky note to yourself, perhaps a love letter to your vision, with how you are going to take care of it this week.
You could write, “I’m going to give loving attention to the task at hand, and trust all will be completed in perfect timing.”
Practice doing one task at a time, and placing boundaries on the rest. Turn off distractions, mute your phone, and you can even request partnership from loved ones.
I can tell you when I began to do this, it was a game changer. My life became even MORE filled after my divorce when I decided to launch a business and start dating for the first time in my life. There was a LOT on my plate, but being present to each step along the way allowed me to build my platform and global audience intentionally and find my life partner. It wasn’t rushed, and I brought my full heart and being to these two visions that had such depth and importance.
Because I imagine your Fearless Vision matters to you too.
So, treat it with care.
Treat it with the care of one task at a time, and watch the pieces all fall into place in divine order and grace, where your being actually grows and is nourished and you no longer have to run yourself ragged.
Your brain AND body’s natural state is one of relaxation.
This is where your Powerful Presence lies.