The Myth of Multitasking

“as long as you’re performing complicated tasks that require the same parts of your brain, and you need to devote all the capacity for these tasks, there just aren’t going to be resources available to add any more"

Dr David Meyer (Human Connections 2020)

Many years ago, when I was studying for my Master of Engineering, in Telecommunications, I came across a productivity article about the power of multitasking.?I jumped into this concept as I was completing a 1-year post-graduate degree, and I thought that I would be able to get more done in less time.?Unfortunately, the more I?multitasked, the less that I got done, as I needed to reread multiple times the things that I was learning.?As a result, after just two months, I decided that multitasking was NOT for me and that I was a poor multitasker.?It was not decades later when I read “The ONE Thing” by Gary Keller, that I discovered that “Multitasking is a Lie”, and that it is actually a myth that has been adopted as a productivity skill that you must master.?Garry Keller shared that it is one of six productivity myths that rob executives of getting more done in their workday.?As Steve Uzzell stated, “Multitasking is merely the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a time”.?

Let me demonstrate this to you… I want you to try the following experiment to demonstrate the importance of mindfulness (Napier 2014).

1.???????Draw two horizontal lines on a piece of paper.

2.???????With someone timing you carry out the following tasks

a.???????On the top line write “I am a great multitasker”

b.???????On the bottom line write out the numbers from 1 through to 20, as such “1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20”

3.???????Record your time.

4.???????Now do the same exercise and alternate between the two activities, where you write “I” and then “1” and then “a” and then “2”, “m” and then “3”, till you complete both exercises.?Making sure that someone is timing you.

5.???????Write down the time and compare it with the first.

From “The ONE Thing” I discovered that there are three key secrets to getting more things done throughout the day.??Some of the secrets I learned from this were…?

1.???????Assess your priority for that day?– Before beginning each day, you need to ditch the ToDo list, by converting it into a Success List.?Where you strike through those things you “could do” and circle the activities that you “should do”, as they are essential for your core role and priority at work.?The activities that support the ONE Thing that you are being employed to perform, at the expense of all other activities.?You should have?no more than three activities?that you need to complete in any particular day, or else you will become unfocused.

2.???????Concentrate on ONE Thing?– Identify the time when you are the most creative, and dedicate that time to completing the one task, that if you completed it, everything else would become easier or simply unnecessary.?Then focus on that one activity by collecting all your resources, blocking off all distractions, and begin to focus on the task you have given yourself for the duration of that time block.?Continue this process for all three activities you have committed to for that day.

3.???????Time block?your work?– Finally, before you start your workday, block time, for each of the up to three activities for each day, starting each at the designated start and stop times.?When you do this, you will notice that people will attempt to distract you at these times, so make it clear that that time is for you to get your work done.?What about emails, you may ask.?Set aside 30 minutes in the morning and the afternoon to go through your emails, only responding to those you must respond to.

From this, most executives struggle because they lack clarity on how to better manage their time and focus.?As a Workplace Productivity Coach, I have helped many clients deal with these issues.?So, if you are struggling in any of these areas then?book a strategy call?with me at?https://calendly.com/stephenmbeasley/30-minute-strategy-call.

When I learned these three simple productivity strategies, I was able to learn more and complete my assignments with plenty of time to spare.?I came to appreciate that by investing in myself, by respecting my time and the extremely limited resource of focus, I was able to get more done in less time.?What more will you get done when you learn to focus on your ONE Thing??How would you feel, when you leave work at the end of your day, completing complex challenges with greater creativity, and knowing that you can move forward with confidence??If this is something you want to develop, please?book a strategy call.

?

Twitter:?twitter.com/SteveMBeasley

Human Connections 2020,?The Myth of Multitasking – And How It Impacts Your Mental Health and Wellbeing, accessed 5th?of March 2023,?https://humanconnections.com.au/the-myth-of-multitasking-and-how-it-impacts-your-mental-health/

Napier, NK 2014,?The Myth of Multitasking, accessed 5th?of March 2023,?https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creativity-without-borders/201405/the-myth-of-multitasking

Copyright 2023 ? Stephen Mark Beasley

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or by information storage and retrieval system without the express permission in writing from the publisher.