Multitasking. Can it really help you be more productive? (Video)

You can’t really multitask

We switch between the different tasks quickly

Switching takes time and brain power and therefore is less efficient

You can do one thing well or two things poorly

Do one thing then the next

No switching, no wasted time

Exceptions:

If tasks take different parts of the brain (physical, mental, visual, audial)

Physical - motor skills

Mental - thinking

Visual - eyes

Audial - ears

You cannot overlap on these or you will not be able to do them both effectively

Music (audial) and computer work (physical, mental, visual)

Audiobooks or podcasts (audial, mental) while working around the house (physical, visual)

Some things only take half of your brain power so you can actually do two mental things at the same time if both of them take less than half of your brain power

Watching a show (visual, mental, audial) while playing mindless puzzle (physical, mental)

Any questions for me? What are things that are holding you back from being as productive as possible.

Dealing with Distractions (Video)

How do you deal with distractions? Comment Below!

The key to productivity is doing the right things at the right time.

Studies* show It can take an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back on task.
That can add up to as much as 6 hours a day not doing the right things at the right time!

How do we deal with them

Step 1: Be aware of when you are being distracted.
Step 2: Have a system to organize the distractions

Suggested System

Do you really want to do this? Yes? continue to next step. No? Dismiss the task
Will the task take less than 30 seconds? Yes? Do it quick! No? Continue to next step
Add it to your to do list to deal with after you are finished with your current task.


*There's good news and bad news. To have a uniform comparison, we looked at all work that was interrupted and resumed on the same day. The good news is that most interrupted work was resumed on the same day -- 81.9 percent -- and it was resumed, on average, in 23 minutes and 15 seconds, which I guess is not so long.
-Gloria Mark, associate professor at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Irvine