How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking
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How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking
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Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking
#2From the end of the article:
As I was writing this, Daniel, my two-year-old son, walked into my office, climbed on my lap, and said "Monsters, Inc. movie please."
So, here we are, I'm finishing this piece on the left side of my computer screen while Daniel is on my lap watching a movie on the right side of my computer screen.
Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking
#3From the end of the article: As I was writing this, Daniel, my two-year-old son, walked into my office, climbed on my lap, and said "Monsters, Inc. movie please." So, here we are, I'm finishing this piece on the left side of my computer screen while Daniel is on my lap watching a movie on the right side of my computer screen.
To which he adds the punchline: "Sometimes, it is simply impossible to resist a little multitasking."
Your selective quote there was a bit out of context for my understanding. It encouraged me to read the article in full, but afterward, I felt it was misleading.
Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking
#4I've made a pomodoro timer app that also gives me a summary over which apps and websites I have used during the last 25 minutes when a pomodoro is over. (http://www.beatpoints.com/cherrytomato)
This is good feedback about whether I actually managed to focus on the task that I planned.
However, I find that pomodoros are not the right granularity - to really be productive, I need to focus on one task for an entire day (related: pg's Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule: http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html). This is still really hard for me to do.
Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking
#5I think it's more interesting to look at what the crossing point is where it becomes useful to multitask.
Surely, when on hold with some company listening to "your call is valuable to us; please do not hang up; the expected wait time is 45 minutes" he wouldn't advise to just be on the phone.
When I need to run a 5 minute test suite before checking in some code, should I go read my email while I wait? What if it's 30 seconds instead?
Where is that point where switching to another task is the right thing to do?
Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking
#6I think it's more interesting to look at what the crossing point is where it becomes useful to multitask. Surely, when on hold with some company listening to "your call is valuable to us; please do not hang up; the expected wait time is 45 minutes" he wouldn't advise to just be on the phone. When I need to run a 5 minute test suite before checking in some code, should I go read my email while I wait? What if it's 30…
This is a great point, and something I struggle with. Although, I think it combines the problem of focus as well.
While waiting for my project to compile and start, I switch to my browser, get lost in HN or e-mail and 5 or 10 min later forget what I was doing in the first place. When this happens several times a day, it becomes a real problem.
Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking
#7On Mac OS X, press ALT+CMD+H to hide all windows but the active one. I've been doing it the last couple of months and it's a great way to avoid distractions and focus.
Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking
#8I think it's more interesting to look at what the crossing point is where it becomes useful to multitask. Surely, when on hold with some company listening to "your call is valuable to us; please do not hang up; the expected wait time is 45 minutes" he wouldn't advise to just be on the phone. When I need to run a 5 minute test suite before checking in some code, should I go read my email while I wait? What if it's 30…
This is a great point, and something I struggle with. Although, I think it combines the problem of focus as well. While waiting for my project to compile and start, I switch to my browser, get lost in HN or e-mail and 5 or 10 min later forget what I was doing in the first place. When this happens several times a day, it becomes a real problem.
Absolutely... I think something like Growl is useful here to let you know "your compile is done" or "your tests are finished running".
Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking
#9On Mac OS X, press ALT+CMD+H to hide all windows but the active one. I've been doing it the last couple of months and it's a great way to avoid distractions and focus.
That actually hides all other applications, not windows. Still, the effect is the same if either only one window is open in the current application or its windows completely overlap each other.
Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking
#10I think it's more interesting to look at what the crossing point is where it becomes useful to multitask. Surely, when on hold with some company listening to "your call is valuable to us; please do not hang up; the expected wait time is 45 minutes" he wouldn't advise to just be on the phone. When I need to run a 5 minute test suite before checking in some code, should I go read my email while I wait? What if it's 30…
This is a great point, and something I struggle with. Although, I think it combines the problem of focus as well. While waiting for my project to compile and start, I switch to my browser, get lost in HN or e-mail and 5 or 10 min later forget what I was doing in the first place. When this happens several times a day, it becomes a real problem.
There's definitely a place where it gets too extreme. I've caught myself going to check IMs and emails while a page loads in the browser. I pause in my writing at the end of a sentence and I flick my gaze over to check for new mail.
I think the point at which you can switch is when you can honestly expect to give the thing you are switching to your full attention until it is complete. So sure, go answer a few emails during a compile, but only check for the compile to be done in between emails.