Thoughts on multi tasking?

[LiveEntrepreneur]

I was curious to get peoples thoughts on multi tasking with these sort of examples.

Listening to music while coding
Reading a article on one monitor while watching an important video on another monitor.
reading a book while listening to music

Does anyone feel these sorts of habits are deadly if want to be productive as possible? I know it sounds like a silly question but I ask because when I am watching a video I can sorta do both with 2 monitors. Or is the risk in drifting away bits at a time potentially missing important information?

I was thinking of turning this into a habit of only doing one thing, but I tend to do something like looking at articles while watching a video to keep my boredom levels down.

 

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[TonyStark]

I read somewhere that the only way Elon Musk gets anything done is by multi-tasking.

 

[daru]

I was curious to get peoples thoughts on multi tasking with these sort of examples.

Listening to music while coding
Reading a article on one monitor while watching an important video on another monitor.
reading a book while listening to music

Does anyone feel these sorts of habits are deadly if want to be productive as possible? I know it sounds like a silly question but I ask because when I am watching a video I can sorta do both with 2 monitors. Or is the risk in drifting away bits at a time potentially missing important information?

I was thinking of turning this into a habit of only doing one thing, but I tend to do something like looking at articles while watching a video to keep my boredom levels down.

My experience is that listening to music while reading or coding is fine WHEN the music is familiar. New music ruins it for me.

Reading an article and watching a video at the same time? No way for me at least!

Deep Work by Cal Newport have some tips on this..

 

[Philip Marlowe]

It has never worked for me. I need to dive-in to one thing.

Someone correct me here, but the original idea of multi-tasking came from computers, right? And it's not that computers can actually multi-task but rather that they break-up the work they're doing into small chunks and just switch really fast?

Anyway - I've tried it and I'm terrible at it. And if I need to be creative or am editing, forget it. Maybe some mundane work. I greatly prefer to focus on something, finish, and move-on.

 

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[Laughingman21]

They talk about multi-tasking in the book The One Thing and there's a lot of research to suggest that multi-tasking is actually very inefficient and also, that the multi-tasker is very unlikely to be able to recognise the inefficiencies. From my own experience, I would have to agree with them.

The one area that I don't think this is true, and again I've read research to back this up, is when one of the tasks is very boring. e.g. repetitive in nature (e.g. washing up) where it can be done with almost zero input from your concious brain. Then listening to music will stop the mind wandering and help get the job done.

 

[LiveEntrepreneur]

Interesting thoughts so far, thanks guys.

 

[Ninjakid]

I multitask when what I'm doing isn't particularly mentally taxing.

Listening to music while coding

I don't consider this multitasking. When I would code a lot, I'd listen to classical or video game soundtracks, as they would help me focus. Music with lyrics would distract me though

Things like answering emails though I can do while reading something, or when I'm gaming, I can read or answer emails in between matches.

Just do what works for you, and if you can boost you productivity, great.

 

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[Philip Marlowe]

They talk about multi-tasking in the book The One Thing and there's a lot of research to suggest that multi-tasking is actually very inefficient and also, that the multi-tasker is very unlikely to be able to recognise the inefficiencies. From my own experience, I would have to agree with them.

The one area that I don't think this is true, and again I've read research to back this up, is when one of the tasks is very boring. e.g. repetitive in nature (e.g. washing up) where it can be done with almost zero input from your concious brain. Then listening to music will stop the mind wandering and help get the job done.

I usually cite Keller's book. Great stuff.

 

[PetePreneur]

I was curious to get peoples thoughts on multi tasking with these sort of examples.

Listening to music while coding
Reading a article on one monitor while watching an important video on another monitor.
reading a book while listening to music

Does anyone feel these sorts of habits are deadly if want to be productive as possible? I know it sounds like a silly question but I ask because when I am watching a video I can sorta do both with 2 monitors. Or is the risk in drifting away bits at a time potentially missing important information?

I was thinking of turning this into a habit of only doing one thing, but I tend to do something like looking at articles while watching a video to keep my boredom levels down.

I think it depends on the person and the task.

I personally find that doing tasks that require me to concentrate really hard and figure something out music distracts me, but when I brainstorm and do more creative tasks, music helps me then.

I think someone has said it, but the book The One Thing - Gary Keller is quality for this subject.

How you getting on in trying to decide what to do btw?

 

[Andy Black]

I can listen to a podcast while driving, walking, or ironing.

I can't listen to a podcast while writing, reading, shopping, or making sandwiches. Or when driving and lost...

 

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[LiveEntrepreneur]

I usually cite Keller's book. Great stuff.

I'll check it out.

 

[Niptuck MD]

I'll check it out.

dude you have the cooleset avatar. THrowback DOOM 95 haha

 

[TheodoreA]

I like to combine two useful tasks if possible, e.g. listening to an audio book/podcasts whilst working/exercising. If it's a fairly important task however, I would recommend avoiding being distracted.

 

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[LiveEntrepreneur]

dude you have the cooleset avatar. THrowback DOOM 95 haha

Lol thanks.

 

[LiveEntrepreneur]

I like to combine two useful tasks if possible, e.g. listening to an audio book/podcasts whilst working/exercising. If it's a fairly important task however, I would recommend avoiding being distracted.

I have read of the habit of eating sunflower seeds while doing stuff like watching a video, it is a more effective method. You don't really need to focus on eating seeds and you can look at the video while doing it.

 

[Anuj Raman]

I'd like to explain this with an analogy.

The best way to burn a paper/leaf with the help of magnifying glass and sun-rays is to keep the magnifying glass still in one place for a period of time and let the sun-ray do rest of the work. After sometime you can see a spark in the leaf/paper and then suddenly the leaf/paper is on fire.

Focus works the same way. The longer you can keep your focus on one task and one task only, the more efficiently you'll be able to do the work.
In terms of an equation: Work Accomplished = Time Spent x Intensity

 

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[JAJT]

I'm pretty sure every study ever done has concluded that multitasking is largely a myth and single tasking is ridiculous superior in every way.

I know when I'm writing copy I need to be fully present or nothing gets done. 3 hours worth of writing might take me 6. Or two days. Or three.

When I'm reading I'll re-read the same passages again and again if I have music on vs getting everything the first time if I have it off.

Great work gets done when you hit that "flow" and that flow doesn't come easily without some serious blinders up to anything unrelated.

 

[LiveEntrepreneur]

I'm pretty sure every study ever done has concluded that multitasking is largely a myth and single tasking is ridiculous superior in every way.

I know when I'm writing copy I need to be fully present or nothing gets done. 3 hours worth of writing might take me 6. Or two days. Or three.

When I'm reading I'll re-read the same passages again and again if I have music on vs getting everything the first time if I have it off.

Great work gets done when you hit that "flow" and that flow doesn't come easily without some serious blinders up to anything unrelated.

Interesting.

 

[LiveEntrepreneur]

I'd like to explain this with an analogy.

The best way to burn a paper/leaf with the help of magnifying glass and sun-rays is to keep the magnifying glass still in one place for a period of time and let the sun-ray do rest of the work. After sometime you can see a spark in the leaf/paper and then suddenly the leaf/paper is on fire.

Focus works the same way. The longer you can keep your focus on one task and one task only, the more efficiently you'll be able to do the work.
In terms of an equation: Work Accomplished = Time Spent x Intensity

Very interesting.

 

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[TonyStark]

I’m typing this on the toilet.

 

[MidwestLandlord]

The Psychology of Music: Why Music Plays a Big Role in What You Buy

Thought this might interest you OP ^^^

I intentionally have fast paced music in my stores (but not too loudly), because my service standards require speed and both my customers and employees move faster when it is playing. It's a noticeable difference for sure.

(top 40 fast paced pop. Freakin' Justin Bieber man, seriously. Lot's of respect for him building his empire, but my gosh is his music annoying lol)

Anyway, just studies like this lead me to believe that multi-tasking is largely nonsense. Having multiple tasks going at the same time changes our behaviors.

 

[garyjsmith]

I listen to isochronic tones at the same time as listening to audiobooks. It sets a repeating pattern that allows me to chunk down what is being said. I've also found that multitasking is possible but only if one of the processes is automated. For example, listening to an audiobook while carrying out a chore or well-known activity. You know how to walk, wash dishes, and rake leaves without thinking, so your thought process can handle to another input.

 

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[lowtek]

Some of what is described here isn't really multitasking, IMO. Listening to music while you write isn't really multitasking because listening to music is largely a passive activity. Other activities that fall under the general domain of muscle memory don't count either. Unless you're a baby, walking is muscle memory. If you're a baby, what the hell are you doing on this forum? Go do baby stuff.

As far as trying to do two activities at once, you pretty much can't. Your brain is "single threaded", to make a computer analogy. You can task switch, at a significant penalty, but you can't process two thoughts in parallel. The penalty comes from the fact that you have limited short term memory ( at best 7 bits of information ) and that different neural pathways are associated with different tasks. So, you can only stuff so much data in your short term memory at once, and when you have to activate a different part of your brain, that takes time and energy. Please note, I'm not a neruroscientist, this is just my arm chair scientist explanation for the phenomenon. Don't quote me on it, it's just a model for understanding the observations I've made.

The penalty makes "multi tasking" far less effective than serial uni-tasking. Do one thing well, then do the other thing well. Don't screw up two things because you tried to do them at once.

 

[Spstepp]

Multitasking is a lie. The research clearly shows that we accomplish less when we attempt to multi-task. Can't chase two rabbits at the same time - just not possible. Focus is the key.

 

[daru]

Yeah, I don't remember where I read this and exactly how it was formulated but it was some research that said that humans are really bad at multitasking. That goes both for men and women. Actually the research showed that men were slightly better than women contrary to conventional wisdom. It was not a significant difference so it could just be a fluke. But the bottom line was: humans can't multitasking!

 

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[LiveEntrepreneur]

The Psychology of Music: Why Music Plays a Big Role in What You Buy

Thought this might interest you OP ^^^

I intentionally have fast paced music in my stores (but not too loudly), because my service standards require speed and both my customers and employees move faster when it is playing. It's a noticeable difference for sure.

(top 40 fast paced pop. Freakin' Justin Bieber man, seriously. Lot's of respect for him building his empire, but my gosh is his music annoying lol)

Anyway, just studies like this lead me to believe that multi-tasking is largely nonsense. Having multiple tasks going at the same time changes our behaviors.

That sounds pretty interesting, I'll check it out. Thanks.

 

[LiveEntrepreneur]

Well I have practicing just doing 1 task like been watching some videos. And holy shit its brutal, I use a pomodoro timer and do 20 minutes of straight focused work not looking at anything else except the video then a 5 minute break and repeat. It sucks, very boring but I guess I just gotta get used to it.