It seems to be the condition of modernity to be in a constant state of anxious, hurried and unfocused multitasking mess. I have this discussion with kids all the time - yes, you CAN do more than one thing at a time, but if you want to do anything to the best of your abilities, you have to focus on that one thing and that one thing alone.
Can you drive and talk at the same time? Yes, but both tasks will suffer. Remember when dad yelled for everyone to be quiet when he was driving in heavy traffic or when the weather was bad? He knew what we all know intuitively - that to really focus, you can't allow unnecessary distractions. You can't be all-in if you're playing more than one game at a time.
"By doing one thing at a time and devoting his full concentration to that one thing, Dr. Bob is able to do many things well - from writing and influencing health care policy, to investing in companies, to being a good husband and father. His insistence on single-tasking ensures that he learns and grows from every document he drafts and every interaction he's involved in. 'It's not that I can't multitask," he says. "But when I multitask everything suffers. So I just don't multitask. Ever.'
He compartmentalizes his day down to the hour. Each compartment has a concrete objective. These objectives range from, for example: write 500 words for a paper; learn enough about a company to make an investment decision; have a free-flowing conversation with an interesting person; keep his heart rate at 80 percent of its maximum in a fitness class; influence a decision maker in a highly political meeting; enjoy dinner with his wife and kids. This type of compartmentalization ensures he follows his governing rule: 'Do only one thing at a time.' Dr. Bob's secret to doing so much is doing so little. He is the ultimate single-tasker. "
Related Squat Rx Posts:(Peak Performance, by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness, pp. 56-57)
Multi-Tasking Addiction & Training Focus
Posts
4 comments:
how do you come across such unknown but great books?
Thanks Vicente - often online friends' recommendations or just running across them in a bookstore.
Well done. I cross posted this to my own blog so I can find it more easily the next time I want to look it over again. I doubt it will increase your exposure much (I doubt if my own wife actually looks at my blog, it's for reference and personal offloading only), though.
Awesome post, Boris. I explaon this to my coworkers often.
I recently just turned 30 and stole the formatting of your birthday list to make a "30 for 30". Thanks for every post!
Post a Comment