Confessions of a Serial Multi-tasker

Hi.

My name is Niki, and I am a serial multi-tasker.

(Hi, Niki!)

I started multitasking just a little bit, you know, once in a while. I found that it really helped me get more done during the day. For example, I would:

• read the news while making coffee
• sew my daughter's patches on her Tae Kwon Do uniform while participating in a conference call
• clean the house while thinking through some rules changes of new board game

All reasonable enough.

But then things started to get out of control. I started catching up on emails from my smartphone while I was at the playground with my kids. I would switch tabs while writing software documentation to look up the year some movie came out.

Soon my work and my relationships began to suffer. I found it more and more difficult to get into the "zone" needed to write code, or create art, or connect with my kids. I became one of those people who would look at my phone while I was talking to you. (Sorry about that.)

I can't give up multitasking altogether, and I don't think it would be wise to try. The fact is, I am busy, and there are not enough hours in the day. But I think I've found a healthy balance between being productive, getting through BS tasks that just need to get done without drowning in them, and being able to prioritize and focus on things that matter.

To start, I made a list of things that are and are not OK to multi-task.

List A - OK to multi-task:

• housecleaning
• listening to music
• preparing meals
• responding to short, simple emails, tweets, etc.
• drinking (e.g. water, coffee; anything that doesn't accompany a meal)
• watching TV

List B - NOT OK to multi-task:

• Spending time with my kids
• Driving
• Eating
• Listening (whether on the phone or in person)
• Writing (including complex or important emails)
• Playing

Every so often, I do something on List A and give it my full, undivided attention. This is a sort of meditation; a pleasant way of practicing my ability to focus. Focus is a skill, as anyone who's sat through a boring lecture or useless status meeting will attest.

Just having the goal and going through the exercise of evaluating my activities and the level of attention they deserve has been enlightening. I can't say I abide by my own rules 100% of the time, but I'm getting there. And being aware of them has made me more efficient, more productive, and most importantly, happier.