Audio Detox Report with a Side of Irony

Last week I wrote about the Dare to Simplify going on over at Daring Young Mom's blog and my intentions to participate in it. Amazingly I was actually able to stick with it. Go Me!

The very first challenge was to listen to only classical music or no music at all during the week. The results are probably not all that surprising, despite that last week just happened to be our local classical stations telethon....or maybe it was a radio-a-thon. A bit frustrating since I couldn't find more than one of my classical CD's. Anyway, I noticed that things were a bit calmer around the house and that my very exhurberant children were actually a bit calmer with the music on than they were, say, rockin out to Aerosmith...one of my personal faves. The thing that was a pleasant surprise throughout the week was that as each day passed I found that I was more able to process the chaos going on in my head. I was able to think more clearly through what needed to be done and prioritize better. Slowly, my swirling thoughts are becoming a bit less swirly and a lot more useful. I'm also finding that I don't miss all the other music or background noise as much as I thought I would. I have decided that this is something that I would like to continue doing, although probably not quite as strictly as I was last week. Classical music is good for brain development and we all seem to still be in the developmental stage.

Now, for this next weeks challenge. Here it is in DYM's exact words:

Dare to Simplify Week 2 – Multitasking at Meal Times
I am a hopeless multi-tasker. It’s truly sick how many things I try to do at once. I never finish books, tasks or thoughts half the time because I’m trying to do 10 other things at once. It seems a little broad, complicated and unrealistic to set a goal to stop all multitasking this week. So what I’d like to start with is avoiding multi-tasking during mealtimes and this includes all meal times. Can you sit through 3 meals a day with your family without doing something else? I’m fine at dinner but at breakfast I sit the kids down with their food and run around doing 10 other things while they and I eat. Lunch isn’t much better.

Meals are a good time to relax, unwind and get closer with my family but I tend to think I’m too “busy” to actually do it. One week, 21 meals, sitting, eating, and talking like a civilized person who’s more interested in my family than in being productive. I’m gonna give it a try.

Here is where the irony comes in. You may be wondering what I was doing while I read this, or maybe not because why would you. But! I was eating breakfast with my girls when I just happened to read this weeks challenge. Yes, it's true. I'm a serious meal time multi-tasker. It's pretty bad people. Talk about a challenge hitting close to home. It's especially bad at breakfast and lunch because there isn't quite as much conversational potential, if you know what I mean. But I'm going to go for it anyway and hope for the best. I'll report about my success or , ahem, failure next week. Wish me luck!