Stop Multitasking

Picture by Ruth Elkin

Multitasking is very fashionable these days, especially if you're a woman. Somehow we have gotten it into our minds that doing several things at once is better than doing each thing in its turn.
In fact, there's no such thing as multitasking. It's a myth. There IS, however, such a thing as ultra-fast task-switching. But, no matter how fast it is, it's not faster and definitely not better than just doing each thing in turn.

In The Myth of Multitasking: How "Doing It All" Gets Nothing Done (Amazon link), Dave Crenshaw explains that there's a difference between background tasks and tasks you need to focus on. Somehow, I think we can intuitively tell that exercising while watching a movie is not the same as answering a phone while writing an email. The latter is made up of two tasks that are not yet automated. When an activity becomes automatic, it can be combined with another to multi-task. But before that happens, you're only fooling yourself.

If you need to answer the phone while you're in the middle of a project, do it. Don't let me stop you from doing your work. But instead of talking while staring at your computer screen, turn away from the computer and give the caller your full attention. It will make the call more efficient and the caller feel better.
Multitasking when at work makes you inefficient. Multitasking in your personal life ruins your relationships. People can instantly tell when you're not paying attention to them. You can tell when others do it to you, right?
Save that incoming email for later, and handle your emails one by one, in batches.

To make sure you don't fall into the multitasking trap, turn off electronics that aren't essential to your work. If you're not expecting any phone calls, just turn the phone off. Trust me, if there's an emergency, you'll find out! Bad news travels fast.
If you're worried about forgetting the other things you need to take care of, keep a piece of paper next to you where you can quickly jot down whatever pops into your head. That way you can let go of it for now, and do it later.

I've had to re-learn to focus during my conversations, and not do something else in the mean time. It's especially tempting when I'm talking to someone on skype, and the Internet is staring at me, waiting to be surfed. But I've gotten much better, and I enjoy the conversations so much more!

Do you often multi-task? Are you good at it? What kind of tasks do you find easy to juggle?
This article offers more background information about multitasking. It's a fascinating read, if you have a couple of minutes more.