How many times a day has any one of us wished to be a better multitasker? We look at all the simple, everyday tasks we have to accomplish and we think, how is this possible? I seem to spend most of my time thinking about what a great multitasker I am, only to look back and realize that I either didn't finish anything at all, or didn't finish anything to the best of my ability.
The dictionary definition of multitasking is the handling of more than one task at the same time by a single person. The term was actually applied to computers first, referring to an instance where a computer runs multiple programs simultaneously. In today’s age of technology, it’s no surprise the term was expanded to refer to humanity. The question becomes whether or not people can accomplish tasks as effectively as machines.
People today seem to spend more time on menial, everyday tasks than any generation before. Multitasking has never been so important, nor apparently, so impossible. Sure, anyone can pick up their phone and use it to send a text or email at the same time they’re talking to a co-worker or friend, but does that really qualify as multitasking? Is it even possible to do more than one thing at a time and still do it properly? Many experts say no.
Multitasking, according to leading psychologists, causes nothing but added stress and pressure to finish the job as quickly as possible. And yet, despite these analyses, people continue to push themselves toward the stresses multitasking presents. There could be a variety of reasons, but one that I’ve noticed in my own life is the pressure to get everything done as quickly as possible. I have wasted so much time trying to talk to someone and write a paper, or focus on work and plan my schedule the rest of the day, or even hang out with friends and finish up an assignment for a class later that day. I’m sure all of us have our own examples of multitasking, and our own stresses resulting from it.
So what is the solution? In my life, I have found careful planning to be the best option. Now this doesn’t necessarily have to be a color-coordinated planner, but if that’s what it takes, go for it. What I’ve found to be most effective is taking time every night before bed to think about the next day. What classes do I have, what will I need to get done or how long do I think it will take me are all questions I ask myself. Sometimes, I’ve even gone so far as to plan out what I will wear or eat throughout the day. Sometimes I write it down or put it into my phone, and sometimes it just stays in my head, but the act of thinking it through does wonders. It helps me prepare for the next day and give my mind time to process what I need throughout the night, so I can wake up prepared to do whatever I need to.
This is of course a personal solution, maybe it will work for others and maybe it won’t. What matters is finding your own solution, so you don’t have to feel as pressured to get everything done right away. Despite the common beliefs of society, being an effective multitasker is not the only way to succeed in society. If by chance an effective and capable multitasker reads this, I applaud you. Please, teach me your ways. If however, my readers are someone like me, then I would say take comfort in the knowledge that you’re not alone. Maybe we’ll see each other sometime, possibly in the office supplies aisle at Walmart, buying planners.
