

How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking - itsandrew
http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2010/05/how-and-why-to-stop-multitaski.html

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kscaldef
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 seconds instead?

Where is that point where switching to another task is the right thing to do?

~~~
biggitybones
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.

~~~
somebear
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).

~~~
yummyfajitas
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.

~~~
troutwine
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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kristiandupont
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 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.

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

~~~
kristiandupont
I agree :-) For now, it's just a hobby project but if it becomes popular then
I might put the energy and time into porting it.

~~~
peregrine
Open sourcing it may be an option... then someone else would do the dirty work
for you.

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Maro
On 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.

~~~
roryokane
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.

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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.

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sfphotoarts
I wonder how this result pivots on demographic elements, like gender, age,
educational level etc.

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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.

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stretchwithme
Great post!

We've all been in the state of flow when we truly give the task at hand our
complete attention. Quite impossible while attempting to split your attention.

I think its also worth thinking about the running dialog many people have in
their heads. Focus on the past or the future in your head instead of being
fully present in this moment is just as distracting.

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c00p3r
It is funny, how people trying to make old stuff new again and again. =)

The power of concentration, focus, impulse refusal and self-control were
praised even in Upanishads. Then the Buddha become a great teacher to
everyone, next this teachings was evolved into Zen and so on.

Most resent psychiatrist rediscover it again and again as 'gestalt therapy',
'curing experience', 're-framing' and other 'great findings'.

Read something on today's hot topic 'social intelligence' and you will find
re-selling exactly the same ideas (from Hindu/Buddhism teachings) along with
co-called 'scientific evidence' like scans of brain's activity and the like.

I didn't even mention the Matrix movie =)

In the essence, multitasking is about to decrease your productivity, because
this misconception is based on concept that came from an IT field.

In IT multitasking emerged because you have too many unused CPU circles and
they could be used to do some additional, background processes. Even today and
average server spend most of its time in the idle loops.

In a dramatic contrast, our mind have no idle loops or unused powers. Often
people have some deficits instead, like lack of focus, inability to
concentrate long enough, to pay attention and so on.

Of course, it is acceptable to listen your ipod while you're doing some hard,
dumb, physical job, that distracts your attention from the quite boring task.
But if you're trying to use your mental capacity any distractions reducing
your efficiency.

Some people are confusing multitasking with creativity, which is an ability to
associate and link together things from quite different fields (say, Buddhism
and modern cognitive therapy =)

So, it's much better to try to learn some thousands-year-old techniques to
boost your concentration, focus, attention and some relaxation and priming up
methods, instead of reading crappy blog posts. =)

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eru
> So, it's much better to try to learn some thousands-year-old techniques to
> boost your concentration, focus, attention and some relaxation and priming
> up methods, instead of reading crappy blog posts. =)

Buddhism had to start as crappy blog posts, too. =)

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AndrewWarner
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.

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

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whimsy
Actually, I haven't read it yet - I tend to skim the comments first and then
decide whether or not the article is worth my time. I prefer to avoid articles
where most of the comments lament that "this post is bollocks/misleading/media
spam."

I'm not saying the OP is any better than you accused... I'm just pointing out
that not everyone in the HN audience reads the same way.

