The Multitasking Myth - And Why It’s Makes Everything Worse
Quick question: do you think you're pretty good at multitasking?
You can do two or three things at once? In this post, you'll discover why that's simply not true.
Multitasking is not possible at the level of neurophysiology. "I can do two things at once" is an illusion with massive downside.
Any extra task you add to the one you're doing right now makes you stupid - it cuts the quality of your performance in half.
Let me show you what to do instead.
Give up multitasking.
Use the Pearl Necklace Technique to maximize your productivity and actually improve the quality of your work.
Check it out.
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Let me show you a technique that maintains your train of thought and keeps you maximally efficient even on a day when you have 18 things on your TO DO list. You will feel more peaceful about your workflow and do a much better job than if you try to pretend you are multitasking.
Multitasking Doesn’t Exist—Your Brain Is Just Switching Channels
This is a really important productivity lesson that brings up a lot of strong feelings for people.
When I'm in front of an audience of 200 doctors, I say, "Raise your hand if you think you're good at multitasking," and most of the hands in the room go up. Many of them smiling and waving with pride.
Then I wave my hand and say, "Nope, sorry. You're terrible." It's always met with a vigorous round of insulted, hands-on-hips huffing and puffing. That's how I know I have their attention - and it's potentially a teachable moment.
Here's the truth:
Multitasking is the illusion that you can do multiple things at once. At the level of neurophysiology basic science proves multitasking is impossible.
>> Your brain cannot do two things at the same time. Not two at once - not ever - and certainly not three or four at the same time.
>> What it can do is cycle back and forth rapidly between two or three different things. But it can't do them both at once.
>> Every time you switch from one channel to the next, there is a lag time, and there is a reordering of your thought process.
>> That means you're much less effective and efficient.
>> The quality of your work is much lower if you're trying to do two or three things in rapid succession.
>> Multitasking Makes You and Me STOOPID
And the experience of trying to "multitask" is one of struggle and overwhelm.
So please, let's give up this harmful illusion!
The Garden Hose Analogy: Why Your Attention Needs Focus
Let me show you a better way.
The basic truth is that our attention is like a garden hose. If we take the hose and aim all the water at a single plant, it gets all the water. But if I take the hose and I put my finger across the opening so that I have two streams of water and water two plants at once, each plant gets half the water.
- So if I add a second task to the one I started with
- I get half as good at either one than if I had dedicated myself to doing one at a time.
Does that make sense?
We've all seen evidence of this.
When was the last time you were driving and the car in front of you was weaving? You thought they were drunk. You passed them, and they weren’t drunk ... were they?Nope. They were MULTITASKING.
In this case, they were driving and texting at the same time.
Just two tasks at once made their driving so poor they became a public menace.
Use the Pearl Necklace Technique Instead
Let me teach you a technique called the pearl necklace.
Do you own one? If you have a real pearl necklace, there’s always something between each pearl. Do you know what that is?
It’s a knot.
If someone shows you a pearl necklace without knots between the pearls, it’s not real. Why? Because if you break that necklace, all the pearls end up on the floor.
But if there’s a knot between each pearl and I break the necklace, how many pearls hit the floor?
Just one.
Now, just notice the pattern here:
Knot <> Pearl <> Knot <> Pearl <> Knot <> Pearl
The Pearl Necklace Challenge
I challenge you ... next time you have multiple tasks to do, MAKE A LIST.
Lists are where you start. Get it all out of your head.
Prioritize that list.
Think of each task as a pearl.
Between each task, put a knot. That knot is a breath.
A big breath. A moment to clear your mind of the last task and refocus all your awareness on the next.
(It may take more than one breath, but give yourself a space—a couple of breaths—and consciously reorganize your thinking to focus fully on the next task/pearl.)
It looks like this:
-
Knot: Big breath in and out to clear and focus
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Pearl: Move to the first task. Give it all of your attention
-
Knot: Big breath in and out to clear and refocus
- Pearl: Pick up the next task. Give it all of your attention
- Knot: Big breath in and out to clear and refocus
- REPEAT
So your sequence becomes: task → breath and refocus → task → breath and refocus — pearl, knot, pearl, knot.
Another term for this is SEQUENTIAL MONO TASKING
But I prefer pearl necklace—it’s more visual.
See One, Do One Teach One
Now it's your turn.
PLEASE, try it out for yourself ASAP, then teach the pearl necklace to all your direct reports, especially your support staff. Each of them have enormous task lists and are often even more convinced than physicians that they can multitask effectively.
Help them focus on one thing at a time and watch their productivity skyrocket.
Don't forget to share this "secret" with your significant other and your children as well.
What’s on your list today?
Knot. Pearl. Knot. Pearl. Knot. Pearl. Knot
Go get ‘em.
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PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT
How is the pearl necklace technique working for you and your people?