Does multi-tasking work?
Darned tootin it does!
- If you have read any of my blogs, you know that I was a pilot.
- Pilots MUST multi-task or you're dead!
- You have to fly the airplane, communicate with the ground and passengers.
- It is necessary to plan, understand weather, aerodynamics and people!
- The three rules of a pilot are: aviate (fly the plane), navigate (know where you are) and communicate (tell everyone else where you are)!
Does this conflict with popular opinion?
- Of course. There will be people who will answer this post with a totally different answer.
- It even conflicts with things I have said, and certainly with most time management gurus.
- Does this mean you cannot do more than one thing at a time?
- Some can't and never will. If you are going to be a pilot, you will!
- Many people multi-task and aren't even aware of it.
- Some shave, put on make up and listen to the TV or radio.
Let me end by saying this:
"People say pot-smokers are lazy. I disagree; I'm a multitasking pot-smoker: just the other day I was walking down the street, I was putting eyedrops in my eyes, I was talking on my cell phone, and I was getting hit by a car."
Doug Benson
Let me hear your thoughts.
Joe
Recent Comments
84
I think multi tasking is very bad, but having the ability to switch effectively between tasks is really good.
Like that person (I don'[t know the name in English sorry) who throws three ball and get them and throws them in a circle. He has experience in doing that and maybe has first learned to do it by doing it slowly with two balls and then three and fast.
Everything is orchestrated perfectly. But that's not multitasking. Is perfect timing and switching between tasks.
Hi Joe,
This is a very interesting post. It is said that multitasking is a myth. The brain can not perform two tasks that require high-level brain function at once. Low-level functions like pumping blood and breathing are not considered in multitasking only tasks that require thinking. What happens when we think that we are multitasking is that we are rapidly switching between tasks.
Research by Stanford University shows that multitasking reduces your efficiency and performance because the brain can only focus on one thing at a time. Your brain lacks the capacity to perform both tasks successfully when we try to do two things at once.
We all still think that we are multitasking and we can multitasking. Oh well! Thanks for sharing this post. Wishing you the very best!
Kind regards,
Nichola
I'm a multi tasker for sure Joe. It's not unusual for me to be breathing as I read or perform any other task. Lol Seriously tho, you are right, some folks have the ability others don't. I'm not smart enough to know if multi tasking is a learned or inherent behavior.
I hate getting hit by a car, glad I don't smoke pot. Still chuckling over that one.
Greg
I always seem to find myself in the area where people either say multitasking is not possible or they say it is constantly possible. I say neither of those two statements is true. There are times where it's best if you focus and other things where multitasking is handy and in your post, you even mention why it's necessary.
Great read and I also enjoyed the great quote at the end!
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Multitasking is a must in today's world- and thank goodness we have the tools to do it. Granted, most of us can't do more than one major task at a time, but there are numerous small items that we can take care of while waiting for something else to finish up.
Thanks for the reply Barbara.
Joe