A voice on the radio yesterday declared it was ”Single-Tasking Day” or something similar. I couldn’t find a reference to who might be the promoter, but the “spokesperson” who was quoted sang the praises of doing one thing at a time for one day. Forget about multitasking for 24 hours, said she!
Fact is, we can’t really multi-task, anyway. Our brains can only do one thing at a time. What we call multitasking is nothing more than bouncing from one task to another in rapid succession, often trying to keep more than one thing going in our mind. But really we cannot multitask and when we try to “bounce task” we are a whole lot less effective than when we concentrate on one thing at a time. There’s a pile of research on this and a quick google of “single task” will connect you to some. But you can easily prove it to yourself.
Try This Simple Multi-Task Test
You’ll need a stop watch of some sort, but it’s a simple and telling exercise.
First, time yourself as you count to 26. Count as quickly as you can (task speed) but make sure you enunciate clearly enough that anyone can understand each number as you say it (task quality). Note the time.
Second, time yourself as you say the alphabet as quickly as you can, again making sure you enunciate clearly. Record the time.
Now, multi-task (bounce-task) by saying the alphabet and counting to 26 together, alternating numbers and letters. You will say, “one, A, two, B, three, C, four, D” and so on until you have completed the alphabet. Record the time.
Finally, add the individual (single task) times required to say the alphabet and count to 26. Compare the total to the time it took you to complete the tasks together.
Ninety-nine percent of you (I made that number up since I have only given this test to a few people) will take a whole lot longer to complete the tasks while trying to do them together than when you did them separately. And another large percentage of you will screw up the number-letter relationship about halfway through the multi-task attempt. A few will get so confused you’ll have to start over. So both task speed and task quality will go down.
Now think about it. Here are two tasks that are as simple as you could be asked to do. You do not even need to think about either of them to complete them. Yet when you try to multi-task, you can’t quite pull it off. How can we really believe we are being effective when we try to complete an important business report while we handle incoming calls, while we check e-mail, while we text message a friend about next Friday’s concert?
Focus and Concentration Are Renaissance Keys
If we are seriously trying to live large, to do it all, to embrace this notion of a Renaissance Life, we need to learn to focus intently. We have so many things we want to do, so many enticing possibilities we want to explore, we cannot afford to have our minds bouncing around. We need to practice quick and intense focus, followed by disengagement and reengagement. We need to bring our best, undiluted creative juices to what we do.
In my next blog I’ll share a couple of ideas I’m experimenting with to get better at intense focus. And I’ll suggest some changes that are almost guaranteed to help us move farther along in our renaissance quest.
Meanwhile, keep encouraging yourself to Do The Improbable…
Bill
