Rejecting ditherers can seem abrupt. But in our overloaded age, taking up valuable time is also an affront
What’s that all about? I said to myself. Sounds a bit strung out. Back then, I was less knackered and overstretched. “Chillax mate!” muttered the old me, perplexed at the defensive, irascible tone of these harassed sellers.
Now it’s different. Emails and SMS messages have, since those innocent times, been joined by WhatsApp groups and social media notifications that make keeping on top of work messages a round-the-clock marathon. Looking after elderly parents has created a tsunami of admin, to which my kids’ school has piled on a hefty serving of mad apps to communicate, separately, everything from homework assignments to vaccinations and absences.
The worst affected are women in middle age – probably because we are taking care of admin on behalf of the young and the old. Does it make me feel better to know my overwhelm is typical? Possibly not – I’m not sure there is safety in numbers if they denote the hours of time spent on this nonsense. To quote Peter Finch in Network: I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this any more.
But there is a better approach. It even worked for me for a few years, until the digital onslaught gathered force. Simply do what’s urgent. Learn how to discern the things that actually need your attention, and deal with them straight away. I would recommend this over the tyranny of to-do lists, where medium-term tasks become dreadful psychological burdens.
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