Many things quickly or one thing slowly?

Many things quickly or one thing slowly?

How do you do things?

Many of us identify with the trend to do several things at once, do each of them quickly and do them at surface level.  It’s not just the teenager who talks to one friend on their hand phone while also texting another, reading a textbook, having a snack and catching a bus. This can be great for achieving several surface-demand tasks quickly, but is it changing the way our brains work and does it mean that we miss out on opportunities for deep learning and growth? Is this efficiency, or a recipe for ineffectiveness?

When words like ‘speed’, ‘efficiency’, ‘multi-task’ always replace ‘thought’, ‘meditation’ ‘mature consideration’ processing’ we are in danger.

A recent article invites a second look at how we do things:

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/oct/24/want-to-learn-faster-stop-multitasking-and-start-daydreaming?CMP=fb_gu

I confess to being an example of ‘several things quickly’. Even while drafting this blog post I worked on three major work tasks, dealt with some students visiting my office and texted someone. I recently noticed that I found it hard to read text for more than a few minutes before interrupting myself to do something else then return to the skim. Its not just reading that is affected, but it’s a more general loss of sustained and depth focus on anything. That affects Bible reading and prayer life, and so much more.

How do you do things? Are you a ‘one thing slowly’ or a ‘many things quickly’ person?

The capacity to do many things quickly has its place, and especially so in lives where there are multiples roles and demands on us. However, if its all, only and always many things quickly there’s a danger that we hurt ourselves and others and miss out on some of the rich things on offer around us. The ‘snack-attack’ approach to life means we miss the gourmet experience that only comes with investing ourselves deeply and giving time.

What can we do to recapture some ‘one thing slowly’ moments?

·       Work focus: designate a slot for a ‘focus hour’. Switch off all externally connected devices, close the door (or go to a meeting room etc), designate one task to work on and identify its outcomes. Set a timer for 60 mins and work on that one thing (and nothing else) until the timer sounds.

·       Reading focus: designate a daily (or otherwise) reading slot, turn off the devices, choose something to read, go to a quiet comfortable place, set the timer and read the one thing for that hour.

·       Writing focus: as per above re devices, place and timer. Don’t ‘just start writing’. Plan the writing in detail. Write, taking time for the right words and phrases. Let it sit overnight. Revise and revise again.

·       Bible focus: as per above re devices, place and timer. However, choose a small unit of text rather than a big slab. Read it aloud. Read it in different translations. Ask questions of it. Analyse it. Ask what difference it would make to my day if I actually lived out those words. Turn the text into a prayer.

·       Prayer focus: as per above re devices, place and timer. Pray aloud. Have a prayer diary that takes you through different kinds of prayer and which prompts big prayers on the horizons of God’s name, kingdom and will.

·       People focus: set a time boundary with this person (and tell it to them) and give them this time by shutting off devices, looking at them and keeping your mind in one place.

Okay, that’s what ‘one thing slowly’ looks like in my world. How about yours?