The concept of multi-tasking has always been an interesting one to me. Is it actually a smart way of working? Or are we just distracted and doing lots of things quite badly? I do wonder if people who claim to be ‘good’ at multitasking are potentially just stretching themselves too thin over too many things. Not always I’m sure, but I think it’s likely they aren’t being particularly effective.
This from Gina Trapani, author of Upgrade Your Life.
Doing two things at once, like singing while you take a shower, is not the same as instant messaging while writing a research report. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can multitask jobs that need your full attention. You’re not really having a conversation while you write; you’re shifting your attention back and forth between the two activities quickly. You’re juggling. When you juggle tasks, your work suffers AND takes longer–because switching tasks costs.
When your brain switches its attention from one task to another, it takes time to get into a new train of thought. You lose any momentum you had on the first task, which costs you on the next switch. On the internet or in an office where distractions abound, switching tasks can cost hours. A recent study showed that office employees who were interrupted while they worked took an average of 25 minutes to get back to what they started.
If you’ve got work that requires engaged thinking—like reading, writing, or even just a serious phone call, stop juggling and start single-tasking.
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If you need proof, try this… it’s horrible!!! Top score 56!
http://www.smart-kit.com/games/how_to_multitask/
So, what does this mean to me?
I know myself well enough to know that I get bored easily. Once the so called ‘creative bit’ is out of the way I am keen to move on and ‘create’ something new. That can be quite dangerous when plotting a book… for obvious reasons. Someone needs to write it after all, and when I look around… it’s just me…I am a master of procrastination, I am en expert at finding something else that needs doing.
Why not use this, I thought.
I’ve heard it said by others writers that they have a number of projects on the go at once. It’s early days for me and that idea seemed overwhelming initially; I was only just managing to keep the current novel going, how was I supposed to keep MORE in my head?!
For me – and I suspect this is normal – the process of writing a novel has numerous stages. Some examples are: Research, idea generation, plot development, character development, editing, proofing and marketing. I aspire to write something every day but writing time is limited and I need to be organised.
That’s when it hit me.
Why not create a few projects (novels, short stories, episodes) at various stages. Then, when I am feeling bored of one, a bit lazy, needing to shift things up, I can JUMP over. It’s an effective form of diversion! One that feels like skiving, like ‘getting away with NOT doing what I’m supposed to be doing yet I am still being productive.
It isn’t multi-tasking as such, its more like multi-threading! Perhaps it’s my years working at agencies but it feels like I have multiple clients, all with projects at different stages. All I need to do now is decide WHEN I work on them.
So, this week I am editing Embers of hope but also working with Ian on Character development for ‘DOWN-STREAM’, my time-travel serial.
Multi-threading, NOT multi-tasking – I might be kidding myself but at least I’m not bored!
