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How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking

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Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking

#11

Post by somebear »

biggitybones wrote: post #6
kscaldef wrote: post #5

I 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.

This is one of my biggest problems. When compilation, image creation, or device flashing takes longer than ~1 minute, then I will switch to the browser and get lost. 15-30 minutes later I will discover that my build, flash file, whatever was done, and will resume work (and feel really bad about it).

Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking

#12

Post by Periodic »

kscaldef wrote: post #8
biggitybones wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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".

If it's just reading HN I could see this, but I don't think it's a good solution. The very problem we have is too many notifications. Whether they are mail or test suites, they interrupt you and take your focus, even briefly, away from what you're currently doing.

Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking

#13

Post by Periodic »

While reading this article, I realized that somewhere around half-way through I had switched to another window to send an IM about something that had popped into my mind. It was a bit ironic.

I used to do work in 20-minute sprints. It was originally for eye strain, but I found myself very productive for those 20 minutes, as if I was driven to be sure I got things done such that the break didn't severely interrupt me. It really helped me focus on results.

Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking

#14

Post by peregrine »

kristiandupont wrote: post #4

I'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 da…

Would be nice to have a cross platform version of this :)

Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking

#16

Post by kscaldef »

Periodic wrote: post #12
kscaldef wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely... I think something like Growl is useful here to let you know "your compile is done" or "your tests are finished running".

If it's just reading HN I could see this, but I don't think it's a good solution. The very problem we have is too many notifications. Whether they are mail or test suites, they interrupt you and take your focus, even briefly, away from what you're currently doing.

I turn off notifications on mail, Skype chat, IRC, etc. If it's not more important than the other things I might be doing, it doesn't get to interrupt me.

Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking

#17

Post by jodrellblank »

AndrewWarner wrote: post #2

From 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.

Yes; we read the article as well ... your point is?

Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking

#18

Post by yummyfajitas »

somebear wrote: post #11
biggitybones wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

This is one of my biggest problems. When compilation, image creation, or device flashing takes longer than ~1 minute, then I will switch to the browser and get lost. 15-30 minutes later I will discover that my build, flash file, whatever was done, and will resume work (and feel really bad about it).

Instead of browsing, I do situps, pushups, etc. I get back to work the second my simulation finishes.

Well, sometimes I do that. It is effective when I do it.

Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking

#19

Post by nhebb »

Is it just me or did the word "multitasking" morph in meaning over the last decade? I used to hear it to describe doing many different, unrelated tasks over the course of a day, week, or month.

Re: How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking

#20

Post by troutwine »

yummyfajitas wrote: post #18
somebear wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is one of my biggest problems. When compilation, image creation, or device flashing takes longer than ~1 minute, then I will switch to the browser and get lost. 15-30 minutes later I will discover that my build, flash file, whatever was done, and will resume work (and feel really bad about it).

Instead of browsing, I do situps, pushups, etc. I get back to work the second my simulation finishes. Well, sometimes I do that. It is effective when I do it.

Interesting. I try to keep a newspaper or periodical handy, something offline and inert. While my project compiles, I read a few hundred words and do not get so engrossed I lose my original train of thought.
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