I don’t know about you, but I can’t multitask my way out of a wet paper bag.  Let me clarify.  I can walk and chew gum or check email while going to the bathroom, but working on five different yet closely related things is a bit too much for me.  Today at work I had four requests for quotes come in in a thirty minute time span.  This while I was taking care of walk-in customers at the counter.  I was simultaneously trying to work out a delivery issue for another customer and get some material picked up for a separate job from a factory near San Diego.  By the time the customer I had on the phone, with one line holding for me by the way, repeated himself for the third time I realized that I was deep in the pit of multitasking.  I placed the call on hold and said out loud to nobody “Jason, you know better than to try and do all this at once.”  I picked the phone back up and focused.  Done.  I started one of the “on deck” items and a customer walked in so I put the item back “on deck.”  I am coining the new term “multimistaking” so know you heard it here first.  I am a multimistaker and hey…knowing is half the battle I hear.  I’ve realized the more tasks I take on thinking I can handle them, the more mistakes I am actually making.  The more I am forgetting to do.  The more details that are falling away only to come up down the road by someone who is relying on me to make sure those details are included.  If you are a multimistaker as well, there is a cure.  Be realistic with yourself and your friends, family, customer, coach, whoever.  Second, take your time, one at a time.  Those depending on you will thank you for it.  Multitasking = Multimistaking.

Last Friday, Amazon delivered a DVD containing one of my favorite movies “Arthur.”  On my drive home today I actually laughed out loud when I thought about one of the scenes in the movie.  In LA when you glance at the car next to you in traffic and the driver is laughing you usually want to get as far from them as possible.  I couldn’t help it.  I thought of the scene where Arthur is talking to his future father-in-law in a room filled with trophy animal heads on the walls.  His drunken focus was on a moose head.  The father-in-law was quite angry with Arthur because of his drinking and was giving him an ultimatum when Arthur pointed at the moose and said “you must have hated this moose”.  Now, don’t ask me why I find this so funny because I won’t be able to tell you.  I just do.  Isn’t it wonderful when a memory brings a smile to your face?  Isn’t it ten times better when a memory brings actual laughter?  I am so thankful that so many creative minds came together back in the 70’s and made that movie.  Thank you Entertainment industry for helping me have a laugh after another day at the grinding wheel.  Do yourself a favor and go rent or buy a favorite movie you haven’t seen in years.  Entertainment is crucial however you choose to get it.

I woke up late today.  During the work week I have to wake before the sun.  On the weekends, I choose to wake with the sun.  Today, I woke up after the sun.  He fooled me.  Today was one of the rare days in Southern California where cloud cover and rain were in the forecast.  It was a bit blustery and cool with mist and rain blowing around.  It is winter, so I guess I can deal with the odd day out of three sixty five of crummy weather.  My only full day off in two weeks I was determined to enjoy the day no matter what.  Every idea taking place outside and most requiring me to drive somewhere fell flat.  You see, in Southern California the weather is usually perfect, so when it gets even the slightest bit sketchy it’s best to stay off the roads.  I wanted to go to the store for a couple things but knew that getting in the car would be nothing short of aggravating.  I spied my pair of neglected hiking boots and my all weather jacket and decided that today, I would walk.  I grabbed my backpack and headed out the door.  The wind was blowing and there was some moisture in the air just like the weatherman said.  I had to think to myself, “when did you become such a pansy-ass?”  Sometimes you just need to take a walk.  Things come to the surface of your mind to think through.  Things come through your other senses that you haven’t thought about in a while.  Some of those things will make you sad and others will make you happy.  I thought about the difficult walks I have taken that left my heels blistered and bloody.  I thought about the walks along the many beaches I have been to and the footprints I have left in the many miles of sand.  Erased, all of them.  None of them will show their face until you take that walk.  It feels so good to just walk around and see, smell, and just plain ol dredge up things in your mind that need to be seen and smelt again.  Take a walk and leave the excuses on the mat.