Becky Higgins recently did a Q and A on her blog where she was asked how she gets so much done.  Here was her response:

"A: You’re a smart woman and exactly right. I hardly watch TV. I wouldn’t say I never watch it. It’s just incredibly limited. I absolutely rely on my toddler’s naps and my kids’ bedtime. I recharge with regular date nights with the hubby. I try to cut out anything in my life that doesn’t fit into one of these categories: essential, enriching, serving. Being overcommitted isn’t all that fun.

 But being busy and serving and doing … that’s all good.

 I try not to multi-task if I can help it. 

I struggle with that, but I’m working on it. I also use iCal to keep all of my commitments organized."

I highlighted those two middle points.  A service oriented life is different than a 'busy' life.  And that part about multi-tasking….  something well worth considering.  I am reminded of the Take Your Time book and his comment about eating while reading amounting to poor eating and poor reading.  Doing a few things well has the rollover effect of being able to do more things it seems. If your mind was wholly on your previous task while you were doing it, it is then freed to focus wholly on the next activity, having put the former to rest. Multi-tasking often results in one's brain on continual overdrive because there are a number of unfinished or poorly finished things that could use your attention. 

Another good point here was nap and bedtimes.  If you are tempted to multitask, try not to make child-rearing share time with other projects. Got that Self?  

Projects will wait. 

Childhood will not.