Multi-tasking vs. Actually Getting Things Done

I made a pact to give up all the unnecessary multi-tasking cluttering my life, and after a week I am thinking more clearly and have a level of focus I haven't matched since I was waitressing. I didn't intend for it to be a metaphor, but after writing half of this post and going back I think I can simplify it if I stick to it. Too late now.

Our brains are not wired to multitask. When we think we're multitasking, we're actually just constantly shifting in and out of focus in our different tasks. So when you talk on the phone and drive, you're never giving full attention to the road or the person you're speaking with. When you're on facebook and trying to write a blog, you end up spending twice as much time as if you just did one at a time.

So, the waitressing metaphor. A good waitress is one that can prioritize her time; she knows that getting the drinks on the way to the next table makes sense, and that having the check for the table after that will save her a trip. She plans ahead and works task by task. She isn't working several tables at once, and if she tried, she wouldn't be as efficient-- instead, she's mentally listing everything she needs to do, and then completing each task before moving on to the next one.

It's a hard habit to break. Someone posts a link on facebook that you want to follow, so you read the link and then return to facebook, while listening to your brother talk on the radio, and text a friend back...it's nonsense! It's tempting to try and get more done at once, and it's true that there are certain tasks that match better than others (I can still knit when I'm watching tv, and I'll never give up my audiobooks while I'm out for a walk), but it so worth it to decide you're giving your full attention to whatever it is you're doing right now.

Learning to prioritize and do one task at a time helps clear your brain, and it is much easier to be creative when you can think clearly and focus on what you want to create. Hopefully, this little change in habit will help improve other parts of my life.