Multitasking = Paralysis
- 1 minIn a previous post that I wrote, I explained how I was trying to tackle the issue of building knowledge from consuming a large and diverse set of topics through reading. In a nutshell, I explained how I would try and read multiple books at a time vs reading one by one.
The amount of books I finished since then? 0. Suffice to say that the experiment has failed but as with any experiment, a good lesson was learned. It’s a lesson, I think, that applies to more than just reading. Multitasking is a losing game. In my case at least, multitasking leads to paralysis. By paralysis I mean the inability to choose something to work on and see it through. This approach allows me to dip my toes into multiple tasks at a time but without actually getting much done. When at its peak, this pushes my mind to the level of not wanting to do anything because I have such a hard time choosing what to spend my time and energy on.
The result of the above experiment has led me back to my old habits which I will try and enforce ruthlessly. One book at a time. One project at a time. One task at a time. Select, focus, execute, move on. The important thing to remember? The magic number is 1.
Personal blog of Makis Otman