Recently I realized it's become difficult for me to do only one thing at a time. Multitasking has become the norm, at work and at home… especially since my home is currently "multitasking" as my workspace! Turns out I need to do more "pottering," an oh so British term meaning "to occupy oneself in a pleasant way but without a definite plan or purpose." The lessons inside this little how-to guide aren't complicated—buy a magazine, then sit on a park bench to read it; plant bulbs that won't reward you with blooms until spring; call someone simply "for a chat"; buy a birdfeeder and spend time each day watching it or refilling it…. Pottering isn't unproductive (many household chores qualify), but it's not intended to make us feel productive. In the end, it can help us slow down, disconnect (from devices, not people), and "just be."