Tune In

For the second time in less than 7 days I have been completely without my Coach wristlet.

Last week, a walking angel picked it up at the local Meijer grocery store and returned it to the service desk with all $143.92 cents + cards/id.

Tonight, after music lessons and paying for new music books - somehow I dropped it in the middle of the parking lot and did not discover it until I made a stop to buy something a few minutes later. Miraculously, it was there laying 100 yards from the door of the music studio on the ground in the 8 degree cold.

Of course, I'm thankful that I was not forced down the "I lost my wallet and I want to die" road but I started to think WTF? Why am I all of a sudden losing things?
I am the epitome of the above picture. Queen of Multi-tasking. Too much on my mind and too little time paying attention.

A few weeks back, a very good friend surprised me with the news that she was ending her marriage and moving back to California via text. I was floored. I had no idea there was trouble.

It's because I was not tuned in. There were clues, subtle and not-so-subtle and I missed them all. Sure, I was so focused on attending to another woman in our group of friends and ensuring that I gave her birthday cake for her birthday, which I am sure meant a lot but had I been tuned in, I would have prioritized reaching out to this other friend. No question.

When I get home from work - my kids want to talk to me and I find myself irritated to stop and listen as I rush to get dinner on the table.

At work - if the person who walks in my office has the unfortunate luck of not being a succinct communicator, I am checking the email that just came in and glancing at my computer instead of listening fully to what they are saying.

That all ends today.

I have an impromptu objective to add to my list for 2010.

I need to tune in.

The guilt and re-tracking back to make sure I got it all is killing me.

So starting now, I am going to work to multi-task only when appropriate. Because that is so vague, squishy and such "a recipe for failure", here is quick list of when it's clearly NOT ok to multi-task:

• Anyone in my immediate family is talking to me or vying for my attention
• When I am catching up with friends - no more commuting only calls. For every commute call, there must be a non-commute call to match it. {MHH we are in trouble -Big Time}
• If someone walks in my office to discuss work issues. When the time is pressing, I will say so and politely move to get back to what I was doing
• When I am entering or leaving establishments - no calls or checking email.

That's good enough to start. I want to challenge everyone to do the same - tune in more in 2010.

Gotta go - being summoned to join a family Wii game.