Compartmentalize

     No matter how good you think you are at multitasking, our bodies, brains, and emotions can only handle so much at once.  We need to compartmentalize to deal with the past, present, and future and to organize conflicting opinions and choices.
     Focus on the present, on the task at hand.  Prioritize your time and energy.  Limit emotional reactions that slow progress.  Keep the past where it belongs so it doesn't taint the present.  Keep the future as a goal that may be planned to reduce stress and worry.
     Many experts say be present and appreciate the moment, but sometimes the present has many facets competing for our attention.  Too much to do; too much to think about.  We need to prioritize, even delete some activities, then try to handle the essentials.  We can learn from the past, forgive ourselves and others, and enjoy memories, but we must not dwell there.  We can think about the future but not let it consume us.
     We can have co-existing conflicting opinions or find ourselves changing our minds.  We may never have complete faith in just one idea.  This can be an asset that leads to understanding others and gaining wisdom.
    By compartmentalizing, separating and categorizing our thoughts, we can focus and make progress in our lives.  This will help us cope and reduce stress and worry.