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Have you ever head a child get frustrated with a video game? Do you have a spouse or child (or does your) cell phone seem to ring incessantly? Just as we choose to have these technologies that “make our life easier” (said tongue in cheek), we can also choose to turn them all off once in a while.

In Wisconsin we have many thunderstorms and with them many power outages. We are all amazed at how quiet the house is when the power goes out. There isn’t any “hum” or electronics, beeping instant messengers, radios or televisions left on–just silence. We navigate the house by candlelight and flashlight without the option of electronics. Depending on what we were doing at the time of the power outage, it is sometimes frustrating. Yet after 10-20 minutes without electricity, we all slow down, and then start laughing and talking. (The only part that is truly frustrating is resetting all the digital clocks in the house!)

After a particularly stormy spring, I began to miss the storms and our “quiet time.” As a result I began scheduling “power outages” once a week for our family. Once a week we turn it “all off.” Once a week we slow down and enjoy. Try implementing an electricity and phone-free night in your home once per week or month. If your family won’t join you (although young kids quickly embrace the idea) do it for a couple of hours one day when you are home alone. Create a time and space for life to be simple.

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Don’t laugh–I really mean it! I know this concept might seem difficult to grasp and I understand the skepticism. Just as I was born complicated, I was also born a multi-tasker. I am naturally one of those people that have 18 different programs or windows open on my computer. I am reading (and or writing) multiple books at a time. I can’t even buy one pet at a time! I acquired two cats that were brothers and two golden retrievers that were sisters.

However, I had to come to terms with the fact that doing multiple things at one time didn’t make me more efficient, it just made me more “stressed.” It led me to falsely believe I could do more with little time. Yet when I embraced the concept of doing one thing at a time and began focusing on one thing at a time, something amazing happened. Suddenly I didn’t feel so rushed–I didn’t feel everything was “urgent.” I didn’t feel like I was on a treadmill. Instead I felt centered and in control. I was able to do my best, because I wasn’t being distracted and divided by multiple tasks but focused on a single purpose.

This was true at work and also true at play. Try watching a movie while paying bills or folding laundry versus just watching the movie. Try playing a game with your child versus playing a game while also fixing dinner. Which way offers more peace, more enjoyment, more magic in the moment? When we cram a single moment with multiple activities we might get more done, but we can only do so by sacrificing the magic of the moment.

Your Weekly Challenge: This week, make a concerted effort to do one thing at a time. Watch how stress begins to be replaced by finding more joy in the moment.

There was a newspaper supplement that featured a 300 word interview with each of the 40. The gist of the interview was, “What is your key to success?” The bold headline below my name read: Coffee, perseverance and faith.  I have always believed that perseverance is a vital component to realizing success in any aspect of life.

Those who reach their goals and their dreams, refuse to give up. There are many stories that illustrate this point: the story of Edison’s many “failures” prior to successful inventions; Colonel Sanders knocking on 620 doors before finding an investor at door 621. When we believe in our venture and ourselves, we refuse to settle for less than we deserve.