My friend Lisa has an uncle that had a career in public health.  One of the things he preached to owners of backyard pools was to never answer the phone when the kids were swimming.  If you think it through, you can see why: the kids’ safety is the priority.  Everything else must wait.  If you answer the phone, there is a much greater risk of a child drowning.

So what does that have to do with YOUR life?  It’s just one example, and a pretty dramatic one, that you’re much better off if you can be present and focus on what you’re doing now.  Take responsibility for your present task and own it.  You can take care of the other things, like calling back, a little later – and pay attention to that.

In fact, there are studies out there now suggesting that multitasking isn’t the key to efficiency, but that monotasking may be.  You get more done by being more involved with your current task and you get more enjoyment out of it as well.

What could get more of your attention?