Multitasking

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Coco

I am a big multitasker. I trace it back to my high school days, when I did homework in front of the television. In college, I did the crossword puzzle in my lecture classes, and got very fidgety if I finished it or got stuck before the professor let us out. I perfected this skill it in law school, when I toggled the screens on my lap top between taking notes and playing solitaire. (That was 10 years ago, before schools had wireless internet connections!). And, yes, I am that person who plays games on her iPhone during meetings.

Honestly, I think it helps me pay attention. In law school, my friends were amused because I could answer a question when called on without skipping a beat, even as I kept my game going. Sitting in meetings, my mind wanders. But if I keep it focused on a game, I seem to have an easier time listening. The games I play are relatively simple–Bejeweled, Fuzzle, Gyrotate–and must occupy just enough of my brain to keep it from drifting away.

Since I wrote last week about bedtime prayers, I haven’t been very faithful with my praying. But, I did discover and start listening to podcasts of the Morning Prayer service from the New Zealand Prayer Book (Anglican). The podcasts run about 15 minutes, and include scripture readings (Old Testament, Psalms, New Testament) and prayers (including the Lord’s Prayer). I really like the voice of the priest who does the readings (David Guthrie) and his New Zealand accent makes it that much more special.

When am I listening to these podcasts? It would be great if I could say that I am getting up earlier and listening before I start my day, but I’m not. (Except one day when I woke up too early and listened in bed, using the ear buds on my iPhone.) And it would be nice if I could say that I fix myself a cup of tea and listen as I ease into my morning, but I don’t do that either. What seems to work best for me–at least it did this week–is to listen while I am doing my warm-up on the elliptical. Yes, I am multitasking with Morning Prayer and exercise!

I usually watch T.V. while I’m exercising, and this podcast certainly is a better way to start the day than hearing about the latest crime reports or political scandals on the morning news. Since I am moving, I am not going to fall asleep (my fear if I tried listening in bed or while sitting quietly) and so far I’ve done really well with paying attention throughout the entire podcast (if my mind does wander, I can always go back a few minutes).

But, this week I’m switching up my exercise routine to try my new Bob Harper Pure Burn: Super Strength DVD, which is a 65 min program (what was I thinking?!) with its own warm-up. I could try to listen to the podcast first, but if I stay in bed I am afraid I will fall asleep and lose that motivation to get up. If I get up and listen first, I know I will get antsy about getting my workout started. I could try listening afterwards, as I am getting ready for work, but I don’t think I would listen as closely if I’m also trying to decide what to wear, fixing my hair, etc. I thought about listening in the car, but I know I would be distracted by traffic and might even spoil the mood with uncharitable thoughts if someone cuts me off! I guess I have 8 hours to figure something out.

What are your favorite game apps?

Do you have a set “quiet” time to pray or meditate? How did you make that part of your daily routine?

Posted in Fitness, Life, My Faith | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Running Into The Snow

Posted on January 8, 2011 by Coco

Today I went for a 9 mile run from my house (instead of on the bike path) and ended up running into the snow that I thought had passed. I plotted a route out on runningmap.com last night. It is much harder to figure out a 9 mile loop than an out-and-back route, but I figured one out that only required me to get through one busy intersection.

I had more new running gear to try out: a new Polartech jacket from L.L. Bean that my sister-in-law gave me and new running pants I got on sale from Land’s End. I wore a short-sleeved tech shirt under the jacket and added my Nike iPod hat and medium weight gloves. And my Garmin, of course.

I saw that there was a light dusting of snow on the cars, so I figured that the snow “they” called for had come and gone. I selected my new “Best of 2010” playlist on my iPod Nano and started walking to where I would start running.

The first 3.25 miles of my route were the same as my usual “neighborhood hilly route.” Still, the hills felt particularly challenging today–maybe my legs are tired from the lunges and squats I did yesterday. At the top of the third serious hill I turned right instead of left, and got to enjoy a downhill stretch and then a flat stretch. Then I noticed how the road rose up again, and realized that this long, flat segment wasn’t really flat! At about mile 5 there was another killer hill–long and steep–but I plodded along. When I was climbing yet another long, steep hill at mile 6, I cursed myself for planning a route that is “just too d@mn hilly!”

Just as I was getting whiny, it started to snow! It went from zero to heavy snow in just a few minutes and it was pretty. We don’t usually get a lot of snow in the D.C. area–except for last year’s snowmaggedon blizzards:

Today, the snow coated the road and sidewalk amazingly quickly, but didn’t amount to much.

I had to be extra careful through that dangerous intersection because cars were being stupid–driving without their headlights on–but I made it safely to the other side.  When I got to my last steep hill (number eight I think!), the sidewalk was slippery, so I ran on the grass.  The rest of my route was flat (thank goodness!) and I only had to cross one more busy road.

 I had to run almost all the back to my house to hit 9 miles, so I decided to walk on the treadmill for a few minutes to cool down more. After that, I stretched and used my foam roller.

After a shower, I was ready for breakfast:

Adding raisins and a spoonful of peanut butter to my oatmeal is my absolute favorite way to enjoy it these days. Yum!

Do you like to run in the snow?

What is your favorite way to fix oatmeal?

Posted in Fitness | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Because My Daughter is Home

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Coco

Because my daugther is home, I need to keep the pantry stocked with her favorites.
(Ginger Ale, Multigrain Cheerios, Bagel Bites)
Because my daughter is home, I need to run the dishwasher every day.
(Don’t you already have a glass somewhere?)
Because my daughter is home, our laundry hamper is always overflowing.
(Do you think this is a fancy hotel with towel service?)

Because my daughter is home, we can bake our favorite recipes together.
(Snickerdoodles,  brownies, peanut butter kiss cookies)
Because my daughter is home, I have someone who’s always up for a Starbucks run.
(White Chocolate Mocha for her, Peppermint Mocha for me)
Because my daughter is home, her beautiful smile brightens my day.
(and I will miss her so much when she’s gone)

Posted in Life | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Stress-Reducing Resolutions for Work

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Coco

I’m not so keen on diet or fitness resolutions this year–I am doing pretty well on those fronts–but I am been thinking about resolutions that could make my life at work less stressful and more productive.

  • Stop multi-tasking.  With my dual monitors, it can be hard to ignore new emails while I am working on something else. I knows those “three second” distractions add up, sap my efficiency, and make me feel fragmented. If I have both monitors showing screens relevant to what I am working on, I will finish my project more quickly and then can give my email my full attention. If my project will take more than a few hours, I can take designated email breaks.
  • Complete one project before starting the next one. My days can be full of interruptions, and I am tempted to handle new requests right away if I think I can complete them quickly (reviewing a draft, signing a letter, etc.). This often means that I will have several files open and in-progress at once, and several interrupted projects that I will have to re-orient myself to when I return to them later. If I take a few minutes to assess the relevant urgency of projects and decide if a new item can wait one more hour while I finish the one at hand, I will feel less scattered and may even get more done.
  • Deal with emails right away. Recently I realized that I spend too much time every day scrolling through my emails to find the one(s) that I need to read again or respond to. Since then, I have been trying to deal with emails right away. If I don’t need to respond, I read and delete. If I need to respond later, I set a reminder/flag which moves the email out of my regular in-box stream. If I will need to refer to the email later, I will move it to a folder. At the end of the day/week/month, I review the emails that remain in my in-box, and see if they can be deleted, flagged, moved, etc. This is saving me time every day and reducing the chances that an important email will be buried in my in-box.
  • Take notes. I need to get into a habit of taking notes during all telephone calls. When I am on a conference call, I process the information and understand the next steps, but if the matter isn’t urgent or if I get interrupted before I take care of it, I can lose track of details. If I take notes–even if I don’t think I need to (and this is key)–then I won’t have to spend time wracking my brain to remember those details.
  • Heed biological needs. This may sound ridiculous, but I have days when I am thirsty and feel like I am “too busy” to refill my water bottle, and often test the limits of my bladder because of the time it takes to walk to the restroom. We all have days when we eat lunch late or skip it, but with my mild hypoglycemia waiting even an extra hour for a meal or snack can wreak havoc. I won’t say that I’ve never been under such a tight deadline that these 5 minute breaks would have made a difference, but it certainly doesn’t happen very often. Unless its one of those days, I need to get water when I’m thirsty, eat when I’m hungry and go when I need to go!
Posted in Work | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Bedtime Prayers

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Coco

As a child, I said my prayers as I went to sleep. Not on my knees by my bedside, but lying comfortably in my bed. I’m sure my parents said the prayers to me at first, and then listened to me say them as I got older, sealing the “Amen” with a good night kiss on the forehead.

 

There have been times in my adult life that I was in a habit of saying bedtime prayers. When I was pregnant and worrying over the health of my babies. When my children were worrying me with their teenage antics. But usually I collapse into bed exhausted and am asleep without even the thought of a prayer.

But this prayer is so beautiful. When I remember to say it, it perfectly captures everything I want to remind myself of, pray for, and give thanks for. 

Nighttime Prayer from the New Zealand Book of Common Prayer

Lord, it is night.

The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.

It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be.

The night is dark;
Let our fears of the darkness of the world and our own lives rest in you.

The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all dear to us,
and all who have no peace.

The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly to a new day,
new joys,
new possibilities.

In your name we pray.

Amen.

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