I Don’t Want To Multi Task!

Can I just do one thing at a time? …please??

Our lives have become so busy, especially at work. We have targets called KPI’s and we have to make every damn customer satisfied to the extent that if they receive a survey, you can only hope that the service they received from you is adequate enough to get a great response…. Phew! That was a mouthful and I probably have created tons of grammatical errors, but I don’t care to edit it right at this moment. Why? WHY??!! Because I’m tired of doing a thousand things at once!!! That’s why!!!

Am I stressed? Do I sound stressed?!!

I don’t have the word “Multi-Task” mentioned anywhere in my resume. I have ditched that nine letter, hyphenated word ages ago. Well, “ages” to me is several days.

The last job I had, I was sitting in front of two computer screens for hours at a time doing repetitive, monotonous work. I gained weight too. The job demanded me to be doing several things at once. I had a list to check off the things as I did them, and I still made mistakes. I was burning out quickly and felt that my health was at stake. I quit.

If I had died at work, the cause that the mortician would write on my death certificate is that I died of “Multi-Tasking.”

I have come to loathe the thought of multi-tasking. Don’t get me wrong, I am capable of doing several things at a time in my daily life, but doing them repetitively for hours at a time? Holy Schitsky! Why not hang me up by my nostrils now?!?!!

Why does everyone in business need every thing done yesterday? What part of their brain decided to stop developing at the ripe old age of graduation? It has gotten to the point of ridiculousness. I have noticed that these managers and owners age badly. Have you seen these people? They usually look older than their age AND, they don’t seem very healthy. What the F**K is that all about? For what??

This I believe, is why quality has been shucked out the door and why we live in a throw away society. My Mom had the same washing machine in our basement for 30 years. It was still working fine when I moved to the other side of the world. I think my Mom died before the machine gave out. The thing about this is that we took care of the things we purchased to help make them last longer. They were also built by a person who didn’t have to multi-task either!

That washing machine didn’t multi-task. It knew its job and did a spectacular job of it. In fact, the way society seemed to work back in those days was efficient and it seemed most jobs were career jobs. People were masters at their jobs. Today, with all the technology, it’s become a throw-away society. “Is your computer slow? Well just upgrade and throw that old relic of 3 years away!! We’ll make more, better and faster machines that will help you to do several things at once and stunt your imagination. Oh yes, you will know a lot about a lot, but you won’t be a master of anything except taking medications!”

What? You don’t think that is true? What world do you live in?

Why have distractions while you work? In actual fact, while you think you are multi-tasking, you are actually doing only one job at a time mixed with other tasks. You’re “Task Juggling.” You should join a circus! Oh, that’s right, you’re working in one, only it’s called a business in today’s society.

I will bet that you even multi-task at home. I bet that when you are watching a movie that you are texting your friends on your phone while watching tik-tok on your tablet and gaming on your sons PS5. Yeah, you know that I am right. How do you sleep at night after watching your devices with all that ‘Blue Light’ madness. I’ll bet that you even multi-task while you are dreaming.

I have reached the point in my life whereas I want it to slow down. I want to enjoy as much life as my sixty year old physique can muster. So, I am reducing my technology and screen time. I admit that it is hard to do. At my work, I now only focus on one job at a time. I think it has made a difference for me mentally. I’m grateful.

Multi-tasking will be the death knoll for many. That’s a hillock I refuse to die on. I mean, if I were to chose my death I’d choose something gruesome like kidney failure or a congested heart. Maybe even both at the same time!!

That was wrong of me to mention that. I sorry. I’m sure that you may know someone in your life that actually is slowly feeling the effects of such diseases. I’m not making fun of it. Hell, I might even be a candidate! *ahem!*

Okay, I’ve crossed that line that I should not have crossed. I actually know someone who is going through this. I think humor has helped him tremendously. I know him personally. In fact, I think he is multi-tasking his condition reasonably well. Even he is against multi-tasking. I think he even might extend his life further by focusing on one thing at a time. I think everyone would be much happier if they focused on one thing at a time.

For all those bosses who demand that your subordinates multi-task; Take a fuggin’ hike!! Live a little. You’ll thank me later… maybe, ..if you don’t die from something that could have been avoided a long time ago.

I won’t end this here like that. My apologies.

In the end, refrain from multi-tasking if you can. Unless you are a sadistic moron who likes the Adrenalin. Take your time, enjoy the process. Enjoy life, for that matter. I mean, it’s yours to begin with. You are solely in charge of it. One thing at a time, I beg of you. Unless of course you need to diffuse a live bomb while reading a text that your superiors have sent to your phone. I mean, hey, feel that Adrenaline rush eh?