The calendar I keep in my purse has 'health tips' on each month. The health tip for January was to stop multi-tasking and it listed all these reasons why it wasn't good for you and wasn't effective. Here is the problem calendar 'health tip' writer - if I don't multi-task I physically cannot do all that I'm supposed to do in a day. It's really not an issue of whether it's the most effective way to do my job, it's the ONLY way I can do my job.
Take this week for instance. I am at a conference in Myrtle Beach. I am also in the last week of planning for a 2 day meeting taking place next week, that as I have mentioned in previous posts is determined to be the most difficult, most time consuming meeting I have ever planned. So, I need to sit in talks during the sessions and then at breaks I need to check my voicemail and call people back and then at lunch I need to check my e-mail and e-mail people back, and then after the conference is over and I drive an hour back south to my friend Nicole's house (since the state won't pay for travel...which is a whole other story about effectiveness) I need to do all the work like updating agendas, writing abstracts for workshops so people can choose between the options, writing out a list of who needs to be where at what time, sending invoices and proposals, and OKing quotes for things...the list goes on. So please tell me how I can possibly do any of this by thinking about one thing and nothing else? Not going to happen ladies and gents. Perhaps I am just not good at my job, but I feel that I'm pretty decent and I think it has more to do with the 'health tip' person having a job that doesn't involve multi-tasking, and probably adding to that they are bad at multi-tasking and so they decide that since it strains your brain you shouldn't do it. It's true, it strains my brain, my brain hurts from having lived through today and knowing what I need to finish tonight, but it is what it is. On March 12th I will go into work and focus on one thing at a time, but until this meeting next week is over, there is no such thing as the OPTION to remove multi-tasking from my life - for the next week multi-tasking IS my life!
Now you know you will be totally bored if you go in to work on March 12 and try to focus on one thing at a time! Some people thrive on multitasking and even with the relatively short time I have known you I'd have to say you are definitely one of those people. The proof is in the pudding girl and your next post is the proof - even while you're attending a conference and trying to pull together a workshop you're also taking the time to contemplate C.S. Lewis. You may take a short break from multitasking but I bet you'll be juggling at least 3 things by St. Pat's Day.
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