Is Multitasking Good Or Bad? A Look Into The Most Effective Ways To Get Multiple Tasks Done

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Excerpt: Is Multitasking Good Or Bad? Some seem to think doing multiple tasks simultaneously is effective—some seem to think otherwise. Let’s dive in.

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Is Multitasking Good or Bad?

“Do two or more things simultaneously, and you’ll do none at full capacity.” ~ Brandon Keim, PBS

Too often I see people trying to multitask in an effort to get things done faster. Whereas in reality, what I really see happening is work getting done slower and in a more half-assed manner. Unless, of course, we’re talking about the type of multitasking that only has one task that requires active thought (i.e. walking and talking). But that’s not what I’m talking about.

I’m talking about the kind of multitasking that’s done in the name of ‘productivity‘ and ‘efficiency.’ The kind of multitasking where you try and ‘simultaneously‘ do two tasks that require active thought at the same time. Here’s the problem: ‘Simultaneous‘ is a myth—and so is ‘efficient’ multitasking.

The brain can only focus exclusively on one thought-provoking task/ interaction at a time. What most people think of as, ‘multitasking’ isn’t really multitasking at all but rather ‘switch-tasking’ done really quickly. And regardless of how ‘good’ you think you are or how ‘fast’ you think you might be at ‘task-switching’ it’ll never be as effective as single-tasking.

As Nancy Napier, Ph.D. states in Psychology Today, “…That start/stop/start process is rough on us: rather than saving time, it costs time (even very small micro seconds), it’s less efficient, we make more mistakes, and over time it can be energy sapping.” And that’s exactly what happens when you try and do two tasks simultaneously—they both give.  Energy is wasted, focus is lost, mistakes are made, and you end up effectively doing the opposite of what you set out to do.

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Let’s take a look at some examples:

• You’re in a conversation with a co-worker and texting your friend.
• You’re driving your car and ‘google-mapping‘ directions.
• You’re working on a project and watching the news.
• You’re writing an essay and surfing the web.
• You’re eating dinner with your family and checking Facebook.
• You’re working out at the gym and uploading selfies.
• You’re at a party and having multiple, different, ‘simultaneous‘ conversations at the same time.

You get the idea.

Imagine that you had to roll two boulders up a hill… You roll the first boulder up part of the way then remember you have a second boulder to roll up, so you run back down and start pushing it up only to see the first one rolling back down again.

So you leave the second boulder where you got it up the hill and run back after the first boulder so that you can stop it and push it back up again. But, of course, the second boulder starts to roll backward too so you again leave the first boulder and chase back after the second one…

Would you continue running back and forth between boulders like that if you wanted to effectively roll both of them up to the top of the hill?  I think not. Better idea?  Push one boulder all the way to the top of the hill and then go back down and push the other one all the way to the top, second.

I believe the same to be true for your tasks. Give each task your undivided attention and get it done in a focused, efficient manner.  Forget about the hype behind multitasking—it’s single-tasking that’s the real time and energy saver. Don’t get it twisted. When you’re talking to someone, put the phone away. When you’re driving, focus on the road. When you’re doing deep work, eliminate all distractions. One boulder at a time.

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