Monday started out like most Mondays. I hopped out of bed at 4 to take my son to swim practice. On the one hand, the day seemed to stretch out forever as I yearned for my first cup of coffee. At the same time, my anxiety rose a little as I thought of all I wanted to get done and how tired I already felt.
By the time I got home at 7:15 that morning, I had packed lunches, spent 50 minutes driving, worked out for over an hour and written several work emails. Instead of feeling accomplished, the rushed start had me feeling like I needed to proceed through a “to-do” list at warp speed.
I always use Mondays to cook a few meals since I won’t have time over the next couple of days. Risotto is more time consuming than what I typically allow for, but I had promised myself that I would find time to make it. It’s my idea of serious comfort food!
I had tried a crock pot version for time-efficiency. It was good, but not the same. As I mentioned in “The Dangers of Multi-Tasking,” I often try to combine activities to be more efficient. It can be helpful, but you often miss out on the full pleasure an activity can bring. Crock pot risotto is definitely a way to get something I love in less time, but the full joy isn’t there.
The task of preparing it on the stovetop seemed a bit daunting only because of the time commitment. I knew I would spend a while doing nothing but stirring in broth bit by bit. However, it was the fact of how drawn out and simplistic it was that made my morning.
I couldn’t continue to rush around. Instead, I stood calmly over the stove top for close to 40 minutes. As I stood there stirring, I started to notice my body relax. Something about the monotony encouraged me to take some deep breaths and push away the running lists in my head. Instead of my usual multi-tasking, I allowed myself to get absorbed in the yummy smells of the cooking food and the enjoyable requirement of an occasional taste test. There was truly nothing earth shattering about it, but it was a pivot point in my day.
It is far too common for me to run mindlessly from task to task. I get anxious and worry over small issues because the speed at which I move suggests some false sense of urgency. Regardless of whether I get a lot done, I forget the sense of calm that should come from time alone in the house. I forget to use that time to refuel because I just look at what I “need” to get done. It turns out that slowing down and proceeding mindfully helps me accomplish a lot more. Even if I get to a few less “to-do” items, the mindfulness allows me to relax, self-soothe and take time to enjoy the here and now.
I am a big fan of being effective with my time. However, there are two components to that. Getting a lot done efficiently is one of them. Of equal importance is using your time effectively to meet the greatest need. Sometimes that need isn’t getting everything done. Its slowing down and refueling with simple pleasures.
I will try to keep this in mind as I prepare to host Thanksgiving dinner 🙂
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