“Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statues.”
Psalm 119:23 (ESV)
Focus is a real challenge for kids with many special needs. Whether the struggle is completing a task without distraction or remembering the task, focus is the key to succeed. While watching an episode of How to ADHD, a channel of YouTube, I learned about monotasking—to focus on one thing at a time. It’s the opposite of multitasking. Research shows it’s not good for our brains to multitask because every time we switch focused attention, our brain has to spend extra energy, which can be depleting after a while.
For my AuDHD daughter, multitasking takes a huge toil on her brain cells.
The solution?
Give Kayla only one task at a time and break up big tasks into littler pieces (also called chunking).
The problem?
Of all the people in our household, I am the the biggest multitasker. It’s a pretty significant issue. When I’m on the manic side of my Bipolar II, my brain hops like a frenzied bunny from one goal to the next, often settling down in the comfort of a wonderful distraction that has nothing to do with my goals.
I can’t even finish a tv show without pausing to check social media. Unless a book is unputdownable, I stop reading and seek another form of entertainment for a while. Yes, I’ll return to the book or tv show, but not without first being completely derailed.
So somehow I need to make my brain monotask while helping Kayla monotask, which really sounds like muiltitasking…🤔
By now I’m sure you’re wondering what any of this has to do with the above verse or God in general.
The writer of this psalm has quite the pressing preoccupation. Princes are plotting against him. I’d be tempted to make a contingency list. Have a A, B, C, and D plan to fight off the incoming wars. My mind would be paranoid and stressed. I might not be able to focus at all, least of all on one thing. Yet the author of this verse speaks only of meditating on God’s law. Despite all the what-ifs, he chooses to focus on one thing—God—instead of the bad things that might happen. This is the ultimate form of trust. He doesn’t need to worry about how to “fix” his life. God will do that. The Psalmist only needs to read God’s word and focus on it.
There are a few other places in scripture where monotasking is beneficial. Peter’s focus switched from Jesus to the waves, and he sunk. Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet to learn rather than be busy and was told she chose better. Jesus says to seek first the Kingdom of God. Read all of Psalm 119 and Proverbs 1. They are all about staying focused on God’s Word, law, and testimonies: To mediate on them day and night. To fix our eyes on them. To devote our lives to them.
I don’t believe reading scripture is enough. We should study it, ponder it, and absorb it. As for multitasking, I’m going to try harder to give my daughter instructions one at a time and not just when a new idea pops into my mind. If she’s brushing her teeth, it’s not the time to tell her to pick up her room. What will end up happening is that the floor will be half clean, and I’ll find a dirty toothbrush on her dresser.
Try to stick to one thing at a time. You can read this article here for some advice.
As hard as it is, we need to try our best to give only one task at a time to our complex kids. And as far a our Christian walk, there is only ONE thing to focus on: Christ.
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