No, I’m not asking you to multitask by reading both lists at the same time. As I said earlier today, multitasking only works when you do one thing that requires your brain and one thing that requires your direct physical involvement at a time. If you do more than one of either, all tasks will suffer. It has been scientifically proven that you cannot speak and listen at the same time, because as amazing as our brain is, it has limitations on how much it can do at the same time: Mainly, it can only do one thing. Sad but true. Having said all that, here are those lists:
Physical Activities That You Can Mix and Match as You Want To
1. Eating (I eat and read books all the time)
2. Cleaning (dusting, mopping, sweeping, vacuuming)
3. Dishes
4. Laundry
5. Yard Work
6. Crafts (cross-stitching, latchhook)
7. Taking a Walk
8. Cooking Dinner (baking or crockpot recipes–barbecuing does NOT count)
9. Clipping Coupons
10. Riding Public Transportation (bus, train)
Mental Activities That You Should Only Do One at a Time
1. Driving (yes, I know many people multitask this one, but it’s dangerous–please don’t do it.)
2. Reading (book, newspaper, e-mails, forums)
3. Listening
4. Talking (don’t you hate it when someone is talking to you but clearly paying attention to something else, and most of the conversation consists of them going, “Umm…Uhhh…Just a second…”? Or is this just my pet peeve?)
5. Writing
6. Organizing (when it requires you to make decisions)
7. Watching a Movie
8. Playing with Kids (trying to play a board game and read a book at the same time doesn’t work, sadly enough. Don’t ask how I know.)
9. Creative Art (you cannot watch a movie and paint a (good) portrait at the same time)
10. E-mailing or IMing (yes, people multitask these two all the time, but that doesn’t it actually works.)
You are much more inefficient when you try to complete two of the bottom tasks at the same time, and yet many people feel that they are being more efficient when they do this. This is the sort of multitasking you should stay away from, if you actually want to become more efficient. If you just do it because your brain can’t focus exclusively on one thing at a time, well, that’s a whole different ball of wax.
Multitasking Workshop is now completed–hopefully all attendants (yes, you!) have learned something. As for me, I’m off to go write an e-mail and talk to my husband about his day.
Don’t you remember–do as I say, not as I do?