Timothy Ferris had an interesting post about the effects of multi-tasking on your brain and ultimately your productivity. Here’s a snippet from the post:
In 2005, a psychiatrist at King’s College in London administered IQ tests to three groups: the first did nothing but perform the IQ test, the second was distracted by e-mail and ringing phones, and the third was stoned on marijuana. Not surprisingly, the first group did better than the other two by an average of 10 points. The e-mailers, on the other hands, did worse than thestoners by an average of 6 points. [Source: FourHourWorkWeek.com]
I’ll admit I’m a big multi-tasker. I’m easily distracted and have a tough time focusing on just one thing. In fact, my problem is so bad that I can easily get halfway or even all the way through a day and realize I haven’t accomplished anything of real value (mainly defined for me as taking steps towards accomplishing short and long term goals).
Today is a great example of how bad things have gotten. At one point on my primary work system, I had between 35 and 40 windows open (about 2/3 of them being browser windows in 3 different browsers) and 12 applications. Windows layered upon windows with a bunch parked down on my dock (I’m using a Mac). I needed to do a quick DNS update for a web site, so I logged in to my primary DNS server and jumped over to an Excel spreadsheet to confirm the IP address I was changing to.
I don’t know what happened, but somewhere on the the way back to the Remote Desktop session to make the DNS change, I got sidetracked and ended up checking email, answering some of those email messages, looking at my To Do list a few times, checking my Gmail account, looking at a few web sites, reading an article on one of them and doing who knows how many more things. It was at least 20 minutes before I realized what the task at hand was and that I was freakin IN THE MIDDLE OF IT when I got sidetracked! I had to go back to the Excel spreadsheet to look up the IP again, then go back to the Remote Desktop session, log back into the server and finally make the change.
When I realized how badly I lost focus, it kind of hit me in the face. I have GOT to get control of my multi-tasking, haphazard approach to my task list. I think it’s not only affecting my efficiency, but my brain power as well. I fancy myself a reasonably smart guy. Not a brainiac or genius by any stretch, but relatively smart and able to figure things out. I’ve also had a darn good memory most of my life. Lately, though, my memory and ability to apply my brain to things has been failing me pretty badly. I think it’s because I’m trying to simultaneously manage too many moving parts.
Unfortunately the remedy is not an instant fix. Nor is it something you can just pick up from someone else and apply. So I’m going to try a few little 1 or 2 day Life Experiments and see if I can hit on the right combo that works for my personality, schedule, preferred working method, etc.
Tomorrow I’m going to do 2 things:
- Consciously limit myself to 1 thing at a time. This sounds trivial, but this will be a heck of a task in and of itself.
- Only check my mail 3 times during the day at 8:30am, 1:00pm and 4:00pm. I’ve long realized that my inbox is the biggest instigator of multi-tasking in my life. Honestly, though, I love email and I love keeping my inbox clean, so I’ve resisted the urgings of gurus (like Timothy Ferris) to only check email once or twice a day at specific times. I figure I can resist and check mail 3 times during the day.
I’m sure I’ll end up posting my thoughts and any results I have here. If anyone has ideas for me, feel free to share away. I’d love to hear them.
June 9th, 2009 at 8:44 am
I am a rank beginner and I was looking for this exact information. Lucky for me I found your site at the beginning of my searching.
June 9th, 2009 at 10:27 am
You know what helps me? I have 2 monitors, and it makes it easier to multi-task while I am on the computer. My next goal is to have a 3 monitor setup, but I am still far away from that goal, since that would require additional hardware to get the third monitor hooked up since its limited to 2 in the gfx card, hehe.
June 9th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
I agree with you. It is hard to stay focused. While I wouldn't suggest smoking pot, although I have heard it helps some people. Your to-do list should be able to keep you on task. If you have a way of prioritizing importance, you should use it. I love outlook, and even though it is standard stuff, it keeps me on track. And you can keep and eye on that email. As for answering the email it helps to respond only twice a day. If I respond at that second I tend to leave out stuff or having to add additional notes after the initial email.
June 10th, 2009 at 3:25 am
I like your style.
June 10th, 2009 at 4:00 am
I had no idea. Amazing what you can learn by cruising the internet, reading about things that interest you. Thanks for posting about this.
June 10th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Fascinating. Thanks for informing me of this. This is very useful.
June 11th, 2009 at 6:19 am
I tend to disagree with much of what has been written in this post, but I am proud to live in a country where you can have your say and I can have mine.
June 11th, 2009 at 4:53 am
@RV – What do you disagree with. I'm interested to hear.
June 11th, 2009 at 9:09 am
I think the idea of setting up 2 monitors is a great solution of the problem of doing multi-tasks.Last month John Chow demonstrating Blogger' working place with some monitors looking like a cosmic center.
June 11th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Sorry, by oversight, I did not complete my comments and pressed the submit button. Multi tasking is the ability to do more than one task within a given period of time. The usual example given is answering the phone while typing an email or letter or writing a check etc. This is not to be mistaken to be ADD. This is something that needs to be avoided to be accurate and efficient.
ADD is a medical condition and that can be tackled by the medical profession.
June 11th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I too, like Gurilla, like to hear from RV as to what he or she disagrees with!
June 12th, 2009 at 12:39 am
RV probably meant to post that comment on another blog, but failed at multi tasking
June 12th, 2009 at 9:06 am
The usual example given is answering the phone while typing an email or letter or writing a check etc. This is not to be mistaken to be ADD. This is something that needs to be avoided to be accurate and efficient.
June 12th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Thanks for the great article here at your blog. I know it will help me and many others.
June 12th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I don't really see anything to disagree with here in this post.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Lol weed and multi tasking? No big link to me!
June 12th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Excellent post! I think that the internet may be an instigator of Attention Deficit Disorder.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
I like this blog post, anyone who has been online for a while can definitely relate to your concentration issues!
June 13th, 2009 at 9:37 am
It is very interesting & funny to visit this post. But what i personally think is that Smoking does not have any positive effect except fulfilling your habit and burning fat. But opting for smoking for burning fat is not a good idea. So, just stick to your plan of quitting smoking if you have favorably sketched out for you.
June 14th, 2009 at 8:21 am
I know all too well how easy it is to get distracted. Fortunately, Internet Explorer acts up on you when you open too many tabs or windows and crashes. Thanks MS!
June 16th, 2009 at 10:16 am
I don't think so that there is any relation between these two things. It is only the excuse for a smoker to prove they are not smoke habitually.
June 16th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Haha that’s awesome. MS does a real bang up job with their software. My IE always shuts down when there is too much traffic.
June 16th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Yea tell me about it. My IE always crashes when I have too many tabs. unfortunately I cant work unless I have at least three open at a time. Its tough to stay focused.
June 16th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Haha it is so hard to stay focused sometimes. Too bad for me I have to have at least three tabs up at one time so my MS is always acting up. It just makes everything take even longer than they normally do.
June 18th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
I am a multi-task person and I like it. I usually prioritized the very important task of the day and I have a time table preparations at it. It's a matter of discipline to oneself and used to it, otherwise, you'll end up mess up.
June 20th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
I am also a "20 windows open" kind of guy and I always have been. I've accepted the fact that I can't zero in on one task and finish it all in one go. Perhaps I get bored easy, I don't know, but I do manage to get things done eventually. I envy anyone who can laser focus on only one task at a time – I'm sure I'd be much more productive if I could do this.
June 20th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Hahaha.. Funny the stoners scored higher than emailers. lol
June 21st, 2009 at 8:03 am
Smoking weeds have some benefits to the health, it is medicinal in some ways. I dont know why everybody preach against smoking all the time.
June 21st, 2009 at 9:14 am
I only have a small 15" monitor
Thinking about buying a whole new setup in October which should help me!
June 25th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
very interesting, thanks!
June 25th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Attempting to carry out multiple of tasks simultaneously just doesn’t suit the way that our brains work. In fact, research shows that multitasking reduces your intelligence more than smoking pot.I personally like to get my head down and blitz a task so that it is started and finished in one session.
June 25th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Me too a multi tasker and always try to push back my new firefox 3.0 browser, while working on it. I opened 50-60 tabs together, but it perform brilliantly continue…
June 30th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
projections measurements effects called total half
June 30th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I think you missed the bulk of the post it is not about smoking tobacco.
July 4th, 2009 at 9:58 am
i don't like multi -task, because that make my work not optimize….but it sooo hard to stay focus ..Lol
July 5th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Um how do I sign up to be a test study for one of these tests? I'll do a bunch of tests if they supply the green
August 1st, 2009 at 1:30 am
If I have something important to get done online, I will close all of my tabs. Typically, I have about 20 open and catch myself switching and refreshing constantly. I know I lose a lot of productivity that way, but at least it's an easy fix.
August 21st, 2009 at 7:46 am
This was probably the most well written article I have ever read,on the internet or print. I have never been able relate so much to every single sentence. I just wanted to applaud you article, it was awesome.
August 21st, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I like your way to live a beautiful life.
You will be younger more then others. It is just because your body style.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:08 am
I also think if i do one time at one thing, it's good otherwise confuse creating and chances of less quality work.
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:36 am
I want to become multi-task person. I am doing only one thing at a time. I think to become multi-task person requires lot of preparation in advance which i am lacking.
September 22nd, 2009 at 10:07 pm
I dont know about you.. but i would never be able to work if i was high…
September 27th, 2009 at 5:04 am
I think you made some good points in your post.
September 27th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Thank you for great post!
October 9th, 2009 at 9:16 am
intoxicants can bring your life to the disaster point, so, it should be banned at any cost.
October 14th, 2009 at 5:57 am
Dude, this problem seems to relate with the one I had some time ago, you just have to focus. Too much multi-tasking hurts badly and yes at the end of the day, we're no where. First off, you've to prioritize things well and with so much work we can do with just a single click now-a-days, you're bound to get distracted and thats all natural so don't panic but this is not good for anyone. We've to make sure at the end of the day we meet our goals and for all other activities we can set weekends for them
October 31st, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Thanks for the great article here at your blog. And I know it will help me and many others.