The Myth of Multi-tasking
When I was in junior high school I remember learning how to make chocolate pudding in home-ec class. Later that day, I was excited to make it at home for my parents. I measured out all the ingredients, then mixed and poured them into the pot. I was stirring the pudding on the stove, waiting for it to thicken, when my mom made this innocent suggestion: “While you are just standing there waiting, why don’t you dry the cutlery and put it away.” So she handed me the cutlery she had just washed, and I got busy putting it in the drawer; the forks in one category, the spoons in another, the knives in a third – I got really into it. Suddenly, I noticed the horrible and unmistakable smell of….you guessed it, burnt pudding. I was devastated. Here I was thinking I could get more accomplished by doing two things at once, when in reality my multi-tasking set me back in both time and money. Not only did I waste time making pudding that had to be thrown out, I had to scrub the bottom of that pan for what seemed like hours! And money, which was pretty tight at the time, was wasted on those ingredients. But most importantly, splitting my focus prevented me from being in the moment and robbed me of enjoying the process; stirring can be very therapeutic, not to mention the heavenly scent of chocolate pudding – when it is not burning that is.
As that childhood experience taught me, multitasking leaves us feeling exhausted and unfulfilled. And because our brain is really not wired to do two things at once (it’s actually switching back and forth between tasks), mistakes can happen easily and our productivity actually decreases when we multi-task.
Trying to do several things at once has been scientifically proven to impair memory, increase stress, and make us less productive. A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience (yeah, I read that, so what!) showed that it takes the brain four times longer to process things when it’s switching back and forth between tasks. Save yourself a lot of grief: next time you are working on a task, be with that task, rather than juggling a couple of things at once. You will be amazed at how much more you will accomplish and how much more peaceful and in control you’ll feel.
I find that as an “auditory learner” (yes I have your book!) that I can’t listen to anything that I want to pay attention to and absorb while doing anything else that requires concentration. I can listen to music I am familiar with while concentrating on work or doing something else, but anything more, I find I can’t do both. I am good though at completely blocking one thing I am hearing to focus on the other. Yet, it’s just like I never heard one of the things at all. I have no recall from anything I physically heard.
My “resolution” for the New Year was to make time go slower. I’ve shared that with many people and most of them laugh at me. I remembered this article about multi-tasking and how it isn’t productive. In the past two months I have made a conscious effort not to multi-task. I know I am getting more done! If I am going to the kitchen for a glass of water, I do not stop by the laundry room on the way. I enjoy the drink of water and then go back to what I was previously doing. When I am done with that task, then I’ll go take care of the laundry.
I know the month of January is gone, but I don’t feel as if it flew by. Striving to do one thing at a time has made me calmer and the world didn’t end because the laundry wasn’t folded before going to bed.
Susan, thanks for posting your comment. I’m so proud of you for sticking to your intention to live slower. Just like multi-tasking, living in the fast lane is highly over-rated. I’m sure your success story will inspire others to slow down a little.