It seems that multitasking has become a way of life. It shows up in job descriptions and is proudly displayed on resumes. But is multitasking really such a good idea? The idea is to do more in less time but is it counter-productive?
There is an assumption that with the technological advances of the computer and the internet few can do the work of many. Too few people are trying to do too much but our brains are not built for the information traffic jam that our computers manage so well. We may feel we are getting more done efficiently; the truth is we aren’t and science backs it up.
A study at Microsoft found that workers interrupted by email or instant messages take about 15 minutes to get back in the groove. It adds up. A report by Basex Inc. states that workers waste an average of two hours per day on email and recovery time. The cost to American businesses is more than $650 Billion per year. Yea, that’s B for Billion.
Ok, so it costs our businesses more money but what about what it costs us, the multitasking multitudes? It costs us time and money too but more importantly the fatigue and stress is showing up in our physical and mental health. We don’t feel good and we aren’t happy, that’s the real bottom line.
Personal-finance guru Suze Orman is a very busy lady with all of her media and business commitments. In spite of this she does not check messages, answer her phone or allow anything else to come between her and whatever she’s working on. “I do one thing at a time,” she says. “I do it well, and then I move on.” Recent scientific evidence suggests she accomplishes exactly what the multitasking masses are failing to do. She gets more done, in less time; more effectively and more efficiently.
The solution is simple but it may not be easy. It will take some self-discipline but you can do it. Block your time and focus only upon the task at hand. Check your email and your voice mail three times a day – first thing in the morning, midday and at the end of the day. If you listen to music, try classical or instrumental. And stop being on call 24/7, take time to recharge your batteries. You just might find that you get more accomplished in an 8 hour day with these tactics than you did in a 12 hour day of multitasking!
Food for Thought:
To do two things at once is to do neither. – Publilius Syrus, Roman Slave, First Century BC
About Sandra Pearson
