Are you reading this while talking on the phone or listening to your kids or surfing in another window?

Are you still trying to multi-task?

Multi-tasking is really inefficient – only making us think we are getting more done. But for many of the tasks, they end up taking longer and not done as well.

It takes time to get back into working mode on something.

Say you are writing something, then the email beeps. You hop over to check it out.

Now back to writing. Where were you? Your brain stalls a few minutes getting back into writing mode.

Or you bring your laptop into the meeting. You thought you were listening as you did some research online. But, whoops you missed the last 10 minutes and have no idea what is going on.

Or you are annoying someone you are talking with on the phone because they hear click, click, click of you typing.

Some things are fine multitasking – go ahead what the treadmill while watching TV or reading. (Though they say you walk better without those. But, if it’s the only way to get you on the treadmill, go for it.)

You can fold laundry while watching TV. Or wash dishes while chatting with the kids.

But if you need concentration to do something, it’s not helpful to be doing something else. How many times have you tried to multi-task only to find the work longer or you lost one of the things you were multi-tasking.

Take a look at how you are multi-tasking today and see how it’s working for you. Or not working for you.

***

Photo by Carbon NYC