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Books and Multitasking

Writer's picture: Dennis L. PetersonDennis L. Peterson

I'm generally not very good at multitasking, performing more than one task simultaneously. Yet, in at least one area of my life I've increasingly found myself doing just that. And I've found myself justifying the effort by reminding myself that I did it in college and so should be able to do so now, too.


In college, I took multiple classes each semester, and each class had its textbook, sometimes multiple textbooks, with their respective required readings. In addition, the professors in many of those classes assigned the writing of papers, which required extensive research reading. In a few cases, the professors would recommend (but not require) reading of certain books or articles, and I would try, if really interested in the topic, to read many of them "on my own time." (One example is Jesse Stuart's The Thread that Runs So True, recommended by one of my education professors, extra reading that was well worth it to me.)


I often asked myself at the time how I could keep straight in my mind all of those different subjects and reading sources: history classes, education classes, psychology classes, Bible classes, etc. But somehow I managed to do it.


And that's where I've often found myself functioning ever since. Seldom am I able to focus on only one reading task until I've finished it. Necessity forces me to multitask in my reading responsibilities.


For example, at this very moment, I have the following reading in progress:

  • Reading numerous commentaries in preparation for teaching my weekly adult Sunday school class;

  • Reading for multiple writing projects (blog posts, articles, and research for book manuscripts);

  • Reading in preparation of notes and PowerPoint presentations for speaking engagements; and

  • Reading for the mere pleasure of it. (I don't get to enjoy this kind of reading very often, but I try to indulge in it as often as I can. Included in this category are numerous publications to which I subscribe.)


Short of that, I genuinely find pleasure in the "required reading."


To illustrate, in my stack of materials that I'm currently reading are

  • Doctors in Gray: The Confederate Medical Service (for both a manuscript on which I'm working and in preparation for a speaking engagement);

  • The Two-Ocean War (for pleasure initially, but who knows but what it will spawn one or more future writing projects);

  • Politicians, Planters, and Plain Folk and The Confederate Governors (research for a book manuscript and speaking engagements);

  • Robert E. Lee: The Christian and other books yet to be determined (research for a writing project);

  • the ubiquitous preparatory reading for Sunday school lessons; and

  • I'm way behind on the pile of magazines and journals that are collecting in my office and on the living room coffee table (Tennessee Ancestors, American Rifleman, Coolidge Review, Our State, Good Old Days, and more).



And then there's the to-be-read pile of books I'd ordered but haven't yet had time to fit into my schedule.


How can I do the required multitasking? I must prioritize the requirements, dedicate and schedule the necessary time to read each, and then discipline myself to "just do it!" It isn't easy, but neither was college. In fact, nothing worth doing is ever easy. But prioritizing, dedicating/scheduling, and disciplining make it possible.


One step at a time. One book or magazine article at a time. Here a little, there a little. Never looking at the whole mass of reading to be done but rather bit by bit. With occasional breaks.


Multitasking of reading responsibilities is now the way of life for me. And although I sometimes feel overwhelmed and long to be able to focus leisurely on exclusively one thing, I wouldn't have it any other way. I'd find myself bored if it weren't that way!


So much reading to do, and so little time! But I'll do what I can with the time I do have. And I'll be better for it.






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©2022 by Dennis L. Peterson

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