There’s no such thing as multi-tasking

299690_three_balls This oldie but goodie web post about how multitasking makes us stupid resonates deeply with me today. I’ve spent my entire day at The Day Job getting partway into a task, then being interrupted at least twice with two other requests that need to be handled immediately (everyone thinks their stuff needs immediate attention). If I let the phone ring, they just call again. Or email me. Or come over to see me.

A very big part of me just wants to look at them, slowly get out a pad of paper, say, “I’ll get right on adding that to my to do list” and write it down slowly, with lots and lots of details. But while that might get some of them to realize they’re not the only person on the planet who wants me to do things, even that would be a huge interruption for me.

So what do you do? Get friendly with Xanax? Seriously, I’m getting so irritated with this because there is no such thing as a multi-tasker. There are only two kinds of people in the world: those who think they can do multiple things at a time and do them all well, and those who are not delusional. Yes, you can do two or three things that are stupid and don’t require being done with quality at once without the (lack of) quality suffering, but you can’t do more than one thing well at a time.

Unfortunately, people have so thoroughly accepted the illusion of multi-tasking that it’s impossible to just say no, unless you have a life that doesn’t depend on employers or relationships with people who occasionally need stuff from you (and are, I hope, there for you when you need something from them). What can we do to stay focused and productive, when everyone’s always dragging us into the chaos?

Oh, you thought I had the answer? No, seriously, I’m asking you. Tell me what you do, or think you ought to try, in the comments.