tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2581786318833236127.post4175643757928077289..comments2024-03-03T12:54:43.666-08:00Comments on The Unforced Life: Multi-Taskingwww.GeneBurnett.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942629399894224165noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2581786318833236127.post-64040454868889275972011-06-21T07:24:40.403-07:002011-06-21T07:24:40.403-07:00Gene, you multitask very "smoothie." G...Gene, you multitask very "smoothie." Good stories to illustrate your point.Eric Soareshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03307519888433542897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2581786318833236127.post-45586434036812994252010-10-01T01:48:25.478-07:002010-10-01T01:48:25.478-07:00John, I certainly prefer multi-tasking when one ta...John, I certainly prefer multi-tasking when one task is semi-automatic, but I don't find I'm wasting time by switching back and forth when one task involves pauses where I'd just be waiting anyway. See my examples above. When customer A is looking for his wallet, I start to tally customer B, while maintaining customer A's total in my mind. Whenever customer A is ready, I pause in customer B's process, finish with A and then resume B. If I didn't do this, I'd just be wasting time waiting for customer A to find his cash. (And in the above job I would have been fired!) <br /><br />I do this kind of multi-tasking regularly and am quite good at it. I know plenty of people who just can't. They have to do things more linearly, one thing at a time. They'd be overwhelmed quickly if they tried because they lack the mental flexibility and processing power. They might also have a real fear of screwing up and psychologically don't like taking any chances that might lead to that happening. <br /><br />For whatever reason, I have this ability. Like while a CD is burning in my duplicator, I assemble the paper inserts in the case and get the insert ready for whichever album is next. If the boxes are all ready for the discs and the CD is still not burned, I can check email while listening for the beep of the duplicator telling me that the CD is done. <br /><br />But anything that requires true consistent focus precludes multi-tasking anyway. True multi-tasking, as I wrote above, is probably impossible for all but a few genius savants and even then I have my doubts. I found this line in a blog: "Remember, Mozart could critically listen to something being played, while writing down full scale symphonic pieces, while composing an entirely different one in his head than the one he was writing down." So maybe there are rare people who have this ability. Like being able to read a book during a violin lesson. I've heard about chess masters who can play several games of chess at once, but I think they do it by compartmentalizing not true multi-tasking. Probably the best multi-taskers in the sense that I'm talking about are restaurant cooks, particularly in very busy restaurants, and mothers.www.GeneBurnett.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06942629399894224165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2581786318833236127.post-45789218721010925002010-09-30T21:10:58.391-07:002010-09-30T21:10:58.391-07:00I only multitask when I'm doing one thing that...I only multitask when I'm doing one thing that I can do with little conscious effort, like stretching or walking or doing the dishes, and then something else like talking on the phone.<br /><br />Otherwise we just waste time mentally switching back and forth between the two tasks.John Soareshttp://northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com/blognoreply@blogger.com