
The Diminishing Returns of Multitasking - baristaGeek
https://tebanvargas.com/2016/06/16/the-diminishing-returns-of-multitasking/
======
colmvp
A few weeks ago, when I was struggling with focusing, HNers had a lot of
advice which I tried to take, including to try out the pomodoro technique (set
a timer for a task, give yourself a break at the end of it). Others also
suggested setting a timer for a task and sticking to it, or creating a work
plan for the day.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11804035](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11804035)

After two weeks of using it that technique, I found the number of hours I've
spent on working, both on projects and on hobbies increased by 6x. Even my
weekends feel a lot more productive in terms of getting certain fun project I
want done. And I reduced the number of hours on social media, YouTube, and
gaming. I also spent more time calming my brain through meditation and spent a
little less time on the computer.

I think a big part of all this is being very concerted in not allowing certain
work times to be interrupted by e-mail/Slack/text or random thoughts that pop
in my head ("Hey, I feel like going on Reddit/YouTube!"). And the fact that I
was creating a structure where none existed before.

Subsequently, because I worked longer hours, I got tired more easily in the
evening. So I ended up sleeping earlier and waking up at a regular time.

And then I never considered perceiving self-discipline as a muscle (as others
mentioned in that comment thread), but by creating more structure via the
pomodoro technique and just believing that keeping that focus could make it
easier in the long run, I have definitely found it easier to keep true to my
work hours even when I hit a road block.

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tpeo
Smith makes this exact same point in Book I of The Wealth of Nations.

"[...] the advantage which is gained by saving the time commonly lost in
passing from one sort of work to another, is much greater than we should at
first view be apt to imagine it. It is impossible to pass very quickly from
one kind of work to another; that is carried on in a different place, and with
quite different tools. A country weaver, who cultivates a small farm, must
lose a good deal of time in passing from his loom to the field, and from the
field to his loom. When the two trades can be carried on in the same
workhouse, the loss of time is no doubt much less. It is even in this case,
however, very considerable. A man commonly saunters a little in turning his
hand from one sort of employment to another. When he first begins the new work
he is seldom very keen and hearty; his mind, as they say, does not go to it,
and for some time he rather trifles than applies to good purpose. The habit of
sauntering and of indolent careless application, which is naturally, or rather
necessarily acquired by every country workman who is obliged to change his
work and his tools every half hour, and to apply his hand in twenty different
ways almost every day of his life; renders him almost always slothful and
lazy, and incapable of any vigorous application even on the most pressing
occasions. Independent, therefore, of his deficiency in point of dexterity,
this cause alone must always reduce considerably the quantity of work which he
is capable of performing. " [0]

[0]:
[http://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smWN1.html#B.I](http://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smWN1.html#B.I),
Ch.1, Of the Division of Labor

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stephengillie
Like any skill, some people will naturally be better than others, as an
expression of Evolution. Those with an aptitude may find it beneficial, while
others may find it torturous. Sometimes articles like these feel like they're
written by the latter.

Capitalism specialized labor where it was cheaper - mass production. This has
since been automated. Subject matter experts have always been valuable, but
such diverse experience is hard to come by.

Moreso it's about having to wait for the technology. Waiting for the page to
load. Waiting for the program to load. Waiting for the IDE to load. Waiting
for 1 million FOR loops. And having something else to work on while you wait.
Or just something to read, or watch. Maybe even for a personal project in an
unrelated field, or just to be a more interesting person.

> A person who dominates a set of skills in both breadth and depth. In other
> words, this person possesses a lot of skills but excels in 1 exclusively.

Better to excel in all skills in the field than one exclusively. Even better
to excel in a multitude of skills across numerous fields. But such diverse
experience is, of course, hard to come by.

~~~
tluyben2
You can discuss the definition of multitasking: let us call it task switching
until we can actually analyze properly what our brain is really doing. That
said: I am very good at it; I get way more done than if I would focus. This is
because of the nature of my work and the way I am (raised?). I can switch
between a lot of things while keeping context including coding. I do notice
this processs list has a maximum though: with 3-4 in depth project chats, 1-2
business chats, coding and browsing (the latter usually relating to all the
former) I notice I am full. And I also notice that textual discourse is far
less load than oral or oral+visual on task switching. If I do meetings in
person or skype calls I basically get nothing done: it is slower and I cannot
switch (a lot) because I miss things.

~~~
thesz
What things do you code?

~~~
tluyben2
Web, apps, embedded for work and for hobby apps, (toy) programming languages,
games, retro assembly and Arduino hardware.

~~~
thesz
I think you should see different number of tabs/windows open for different
problems.

There are things in you list that need communication with someone (web and
apps - I'd wager they are underspecified). I think you do not need
communication working on retro assembly.

I am working on IDE supporting two dirty old languages, VHDL and Verilog. I
need three things opened: Visual Studio, PDF of standard under question and
orthodox file manager [1] in the tests directory. Having internalized a great
deal of VHDL, I do not need it's PDF opened too often. So, there are two
things for me to work with: run tests in VS, occasionally look at problematic
source code with OFM.

I also need a great deal of silence around me, otherwise I cannot concentrate
deep enough to make good decisions and implementation of dirty old languages
badly needs extremely good decisions.

[1]
[http://softpanorama.org/OFM/index.shtml](http://softpanorama.org/OFM/index.shtml)

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varlock
An interesting read on the subject, although not exclusively focused on multi-
tasking, mostly US-centric and at times a bit wordy, is "The Organized Mind"
([https://amzn.com/0147516315](https://amzn.com/0147516315)) by Daniel J
Levin, a professor in Psychology.

Among other things, he explains why multitasking seems rewarding: it "creates
a dopamine-addiction feedback loop, effectively rewarding the brain for losing
focus and for constantly searching for external stimulation".

~~~
agumonkey
Multitasking also enables point harvest in exams. Young you, and teachers too,
will think its a given optimization to en force. Later you realize it has
downsides.

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235337
While multi tasking is one of the great myths of our current age, the idea of
focus is quite quickly catching up. Both, when pushed to the extreme, are
different sides of the same coin.

For a long time computers the public where using also did not multi task, but
you could still browse a website and chat with your friends and not notice the
switching.

