“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” -Albert Einstein

I love many things, activities, people, places, projects. My immense enthusiasm is one of my greatest strengths and it is also the source of my greatest struggles. My father used to remind me that I could do many things over the course of a lifetime, and I didn’t have to do them all at once. ‘Seriatim’, he would say, the Latin for sequentially or one thing after another. He also reminded me that I needed things like “sleep” and “meals”. (Scoff!)

My inner 7-year-old is still often impatient and frustrated by this methodical approach. But it’s all important! She protests. It’s part of my well-rounded life! I’m a Renaissance woman!!

All of the various aspects of my life are important to me. However, when I try to do everything at once, it’s like I’m trying to play all of the notes and all of the parts of a symphony all by myself and all at the same time. It doesn’t work, it sounds bad, and it undermines the whole purpose of a symphony, which is: MUSIC.

I love music as a guiding metaphor for clarity, focus, differentiation, and time management. It has certainly been helpful for me and my particular ‘if-you-give-a-mouse-a-cookie’ brand of enthusiastic over-extending. If I can focus on just my part and take it one note at a time, the outcome is beautiful. What’s more, the process itself is enjoyable. Does a musician play a piece of music to see how many notes they can fit into the shortest stretch of time? (Okay, some violinists do that to show off. But in general. You get my point.) We don’t create music in order to maximize efficiency or check a bunch of things off of the to do list. We create, play, and share music as an expression of beauty and creativity, or because it gives us pleasure, joy, and a sense of something bigger than ourselves.

So how does this abstract metaphor apply, you
may ask. I still have bills to pay. I still have to take the garbage out, which
is a distinctly un-creative and joyful act! I still have to get certain things
done by a certain time. There are deadlines. All of this airy-fairy talk of
music metaphors and joy and such is all fine and good until it collides with
the way the real world actually works. (I can hear your skepticism, blog
reader!)

See if you can find your rhythm with the following exercise. You
might be surprised at how much you accomplish when you pace yourself and take
things one at a time.

Rest and Rhythm Exercise:

1. Identify one task (ONE TASK! YOU ONLY GET TO PICK ONE!) and set aside 15-20 minutes in which to focus on this task.
2. Pick your current favorite song and queue it up on your phone, iPod, computer, so that it’s all ready to go.
3. Set your timer for 10 minutes, and work in a focused manner on your task, trusting that you’ll get done whatever you need to in this moment.
4. When the timer goes off, play your song and dance for 5 minutes. (I am absolutely serious. If you’re are too self-conscious, or you’re in a place where you don’t think it’s appropriate to dance, put your headphones in and go for a walk while you listen to the song.)
5. As you listen, pay attention to the rhythm of the song, and let your mind relax. Notice if you get impatient with the music/dance break and try to go back to your task early. Don’t do it! Give yourself the entirety of the song to relax, move your body, and listen to the music.
6. When the song is over, go back to the task, and work on it again for 15 minutes.
7. How did it go? Notice your reaction to this exercise—Did you enjoy it? Is it anxiety-inducing to take a break after “so little” work?