Article August 27, 2012 Issue

Priority-challenged? Start with prayer

Diane P. Dailey

Society today is constantly on the go, in a whirlwind of activity. The demands in our lives, however, often seem to exceed the 24 hours we actually have in a day. A lot of us probably wish, “If only I had more time, I could check off even more things on my lengthy to-do lists.”

With an increase in information and availability—through social networking, e-mail, and smartphone connections—many people integrate technology into already busy lives. One wonders, however, whether the barrage of nonstop input actually improves the quality of life. Multi-tasking, one result of our state-of-the-art culture, is viewed as an asset to accomplishing many tasks and projects simultaneously. But there’s a downside, too: Multi-tasking contributes to a dramatic decrease in one’s ability to concentrate. In other words, doing many activities at a time can distract from thoughtful decisionmaking and effective problem-solving. An article in The New York Times put it this way: “As workers add more electronic devices, Web sites, software programs, and apps to their arsenals, there is a point at which efficiency and satisfaction suffer” (December 31, 2011).

In spite of all this emphasis on connectivity and productivity, most people still feel a tendency to procrastinate, stall, or postpone certain activities. Priorities are often placed on the back burner in favor of keeping up with the ongoing flow of information.