The following is a guest post by Stephanie of A High And Noble Calling. Stephanie has been married to her hard working husband for 14 years and is a home schooling, home making mommy of 3 children. Stephanie’s  blog focuses encouraging, equipping and inspiring women in their high calling as wives, homemakers and mothers in the areas of faith, frugality, and everyday living.

I have always been a fairly good multi-tasker, actually up until recently I would say that it was one of my strong points.

Lately, even though we stay home on most days, I feel as though our days are flying by in a whirlwind of activity and I have just felt as though I was not fully engaged in any particular thing at any particular time. I am always thinking of the next thing to do, or trying to juggle two things at once. One day I thought, “What if I try to just do one thing at a time, and fully concentrate on that one thing until it is done?”

Now obviously as a home schooling mother with 3 children, that sounds impossible, and quite often it is. But I decided to give it a try.

My first experiment was with home schooling. Instead of thinking of the laundry, the dishes, the dust kitties under the couch, trying to get dinner ready or the refrigerator cleaned in the midst of schooling, I simply sat at the table with my children and stayed there until they were done. I will admit, at first it was hard. Very hard! But it felt so good, they did much better focusing on their work, and you know what? All those other things didn’t seem so big after all. The laundry got done, dinner was ready, the refrigerator got cleaned and the dust kitties, well they can wait another week or so!

I began applying this non multi-tasking idea to other areas in my home and life. When I read a story to my son, that is what I focus on. When I do laundry,  that is what I am thinking about. It sounds so simplistic, but the difference in my feeling of peace and tranquility was amazing. My children, although they didn’t know what I was doing, noticed a difference in me as well. And amazingly the seemed more content with the one on one time we had together because I believe they felt they really had my attention.

Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone and you just know there mind is elsewhere? Do you ever find that kind of frustrating? Has it ever made you feel unimportant? I believe that my multi-tasking mind was unfortunately making my children feel that way. Mommy was never just there, listening, paying attention, just being. Now that I  have been practicing engaging in one thing at a time and turning my mind off to other things (as much as possible), I can see the difference in the atmosphere of our home, my husband, and my children, and myself. And I can’t even begin to tell you how it has revitalized my prayer life and time in God’s Word!

I have been ending my day possibly not doing more, but definitely being more. Multi-tasking has its place, and at times is a necessity. But it can also take away from your life more than adds.  Truly been there when it matters, is so much more than getting lots of things done.  I guess the old saying is true that often times, less is more!