If you take a good look at the many lifestyles of the modern day, you'd notice that there's usually a lot happening all at once. Our lives have become so complex that the ability to multitask is an implicit requirement for getting things done. People in the media business, for example, have to deal with multiple concerns in succession just to keep their heads above water. It's not enough to simply be good at what you do - you have to be able to do a lot at once.

What we tend to forget, though, is that there's only so much we can do at a time. We try so very hard to get as much done as we can, leaving little room for us to step back, look at our handiwork, and feel good about what we're doing. When you spread yourself out too thinly, how much genuine care can you invest in the things you're working on?

We often hear the adage, "Cherish the moment." A corollary of equal importance, I believe, is that we learn to cherish what we do.

That may be a tall order for some, but it's a lesson that needs to be taken seriously. The less willing we are to consciously invest in the essence of what we're doing, be it work or study, the more likely we won't care if we do badly. The quality of what you're doing is directly proportional to how much you care about it. That's why frequent multitaskers sometimes turn in slipshod results - they don't focus enough.

The same principle applies to rest. If you insist on thinking about work when you're supposed to be resting, you'll effectively be robbing yourself of the chance to recuperate. Real rest only comes with the willingness to have it, and nothing else, in a given span of time. There will be time enough to think and act on work after you've properly taken care of yourself.

Remember that the fundamental aspect of any task is not just that it gets done, but that it gets done well. That's the point that we sometimes miss out on in our desire to get so many things done at a time. Multitasking is not inherently wrong, but overdoing it is. Strike a sensible balance. If you give yourself the chance to care about what you do, you'd be surprised at how much your output will improve.

[First published by Perspective, DLSU - College of St. Benilde]