Unravelling The Myths of Multitasking and Time Management – Part 2
In the first part of this series, I discussed the misguided notion that continues to be perpetuated regarding the ability of humans to multitask. In this second part, I’m going to talk about one of the reasons why we feel that we need to try to multitask – time management.
Going back again to the experiences we had while we were in school, I’m sure we all remember one time or another where we didn’t finish all the homework we were assigned. As a result, we’d have either our parents or our teachers telling us that we weren’t managing our time well. But here’s the thing – how can any of us really manage time? We can’t put time on hold so we can take a break and do something else, and we certainly can’t get more time if we have to take care of something we hadn’t anticipated. Whether we lose an hour of work time because we were goofing off or because something unexpected comes up makes no difference since either way, we can’t get that hour back.
So what was it that prevented us from completing our homework assignments in time if it wasn’t poor time management? Looking back now, I think we can all appreciate that the problem was one of not managing our focus – of not reducing the number of distractions around us when we were doing our homework. And today, with the rise in usage of emails, text messages, and social networking sites to name but a few, we are now inundated with even more distractions that take our focus off the ball.
Of course, in this Information Age, we don’t see these as being distractions, but rather as necessities for work and our every day living. And so, with all these different outlets demanding more and more of our time, many of us end up buying time management books or attending seminars in the hopes that we can learn new tricks on how to squeeze every last second in each hour of the day. More often than not, these time management programs push some version of a To-Do list as a ploy to temper the ticking clock on the wall. This brings us to yet another reality check on this whole issue – if To-Do lists really work, why then are so many people still struggling to perform all these tasks in a bid to beat the clock?
Part of the reason for this is the fact that To-Do lists do not let us take into consideration the reality of unexpected events, which often derail even the best well-laid plans. I’m sure many of us have stories of an unplanned trip to the repair garage on days where we have so many other things to do. On those days, a To-Do list is more like a bitter reminder of what we were supposed to finish but didn’t. Granted, To-Do lists can be helpful in allowing us to keep track of the various tasks we need to deal with or keep tabs on. But what To-Do lists can’t do is give us more time or slow the clock down. No matter how much we’d like to, we can’t stop time from marching forward.
So, if humans can’t multitask and there is no way to manage time, what can we do instead? As I’ll share in the conclusion of this series, what is needed is a shift in perspective, as well as a hypothetical trip to the grocery store.
Stay tuned.
Some other posts you may enjoy:
- Unravelling The Myths of Multitasking and Time Management – Part 3
- Unravelling The Myths of Multitasking and Time Management – Part 1
- What Is The Value Of Homework?
- Got A Few Minutes? Why It’s Important to Take That Daily Break
- Need A Boost? Strategies For Recharging Your Productivity
- And Yet Another Summer Comes To An End
Great post Tanveer – as I type this comment – Tweetdeck just alerted me of some new tweets, new DMs, my To Do list is telling me these tasks are overdue, the phone just rang, my personal and work emails are alerting me of new messages…. Absolutely agree! Multi-tasking is not productive. Single tasking is more efficient and less stressful however, I’ve tried countless ways to recover from multi-tasking using different software apps, web apps, iPhone apps…and still, I’ve got my Gmail tasks, work and home, my iPhone task app, my work Basecamp To Dos, my Highrise tasks, arrrgh…
Perhaps it’s time for a universally accepted “To Do” protocol, like RSS, or like iCal allows you to sync Calendars, etc…so we can manage all these different Tasks across various applications and sync them all together…and let’s call it: iDo.
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Hi Martin,
Thanks – I’m glad you’re enjoying this series.
It’s amazing when you think about how many ‘productivity’ or communication tools we now have at our disposal and invariably requiring our attention. But really how productive does this make us and how are we defining that sense of accomplishment? Those are the key questions I want to address in my last installment. Hopefully it will help people get a handle on this whole thing and start making decisive changes for the better.
Again, my thanks Martin for your thoughts. I’m looking forward to hearing what you think about the ideas I plan on presenting in the final piece of this series.
Tanveer,
This post will resonate with a lot of people. I just learned the other day that it’s popular to call your blackberry a “crackberry” due to the addiction that some people have with these devices. I imagine that they share some of the symptoms too – glazed over eyes and a twisted perception of reality. Not to mention being easier targets for getting hit by a (insert vehicle of choice here).
Many of us tend to fool ourselves into thinking that we’ll get more done if we do several things at the same time, but studies (and my personal experience) shows that we get more done if we increase our focus and concentration on one task at a time and get it done. This is where priorities and discipline comes in.
I don’t want to preach because I tend to fall into the multitasking trap more often than I’d like, but I know that the moment I get back on track with single tasking, things get done quickly, with less effort and stress, plus I feel more productive and gratified once I’m done.
I’m looking forward to your conclusion of this series!
Hi Xurxo,
Thanks – it has been satisfying seeing how many people are enjoying this series. It’s ironic that only when we start thinking about multitasking and time management that we realize that it’s a bad habit that we’re being encouraged to maintain.
And every time there’s a new technological innovation, we’re told that this will help improve our productivity because it allows us to have more immediate access to information and our contacts. I can’t help but wonder what the move to real-time searches will bring forth if not an even greater sense of urgency to get more accomplished thanks to the instantaneous delivery of results.
Thanks again, Xurxo, for your contribution to the discussion.
I think that sense of urgency and the associated guilt that comes with not being everywhere at the same time. And not responding to everything that pops in our peripheral vision is largely what causes us to believe that multitasking is the way to go.
I hate to think that this has become ingrained in our culture making breaking this habit even harder because those who do not multi-task as much are quickly becoming a minority.
I wonder if there is a link between this phenomenon and the surge in ADD diagnosis in kids and even some adults. Either way our minds are clearly not meant to multi-task at the level some of us are pushing them to. Mass increases in burnouts come to mind and a reduced quality of life.
Excellent food for thought!