Multi-tasking: Redefined

You cannot do two things at once– or can you?

Multi-tasking is the result of “self-initiated interruptions in the performance of an ongoing task” (Adler & Benbunan-Fich, 2013).  In other words, a person chooses to stop one activity to engage in another. This makes the term ‘multi-tasking’ a bit of a misnomer– many researchers that study this phenomena more accurately refer to it as ‘task-switching’ behavior.

These interruptions may be internally motivated– void of any external trigger– or they may be initiated in response to an electronic alarm, email notification, boss, spouse or other external trigger, encouraging us to stop what we are doing and shift our focus to another activity. In today’s ‘connected’ environment, people are more distracted than ever due to a constant barrage of buzzes, chimes, and alerts emanating from our cell phones, tablets, and computers in response to our many social media connections, multiple email accounts, electronic calendars, and the like.

Several weeks ago, this blog addressed this very topic in a posting that encouraged readers to ‘Disconnect and Engage’.  Today’s post encourages readers to redefine the concept of multi-tasking.

Multi-tasking, as commonly defined, occurs when a person frequently switches his/her attention among a variety of tasks, projects, or assignments within a specified period of time, as opposed to remaining focused on a singular task and seeing it through to completion.

All of us ‘multi-task’ at times– quite frankly, many projects simply take too much time to be completed in a single, dedicated block of time; however, too often the completion of important tasks, which could be most efficiently completed in a dedicated window of time, are interrupted by more urgent priorities or completed while ‘simultaneously’ performing a routine task. This constant refocusing of our attention is a distraction that hinders our personal productivity and, very often, negatively impacts the quality of our work.  In extreme cases, it even jeopardizes our personal safety– have you ever sent a text or checked your email while driving?

Consequently, one’s ability to remain focused on the task at hand may improve productivity, the quality of output, and even ensure our personal safety (and perhaps the safety of our loved ones).

‘Task-switching’ should not be used interchangeably with ‘multi-tasking.’  Instead ‘multi-tasking’ needs to be redefined as activities that positively impact multiple aspects of human wellness simultaneously. In other words, ‘multi-tasking’ occurs when we engage in ‘power activities’– activities that make our lives substantially better in multiple ways.

As previously discussed, there are seven dimensions of human wellness– physical, emotional, social, educational, vocational, financial, and spiritual (please refer to ‘Seven paths… one life’ for additional detail). And, readers have also been encouraged to ‘let your ‘spirit’ be your guide’ when establishing priorities regarding the investment of the 168 hours with which we are each blessed within any given week (see how ‘Life is Fair’).

The purpose of this post is to encourage readers to recognize, prioritize, and engage in ‘power activities.’

Many of us attempt to juggle multiple priorities– getting to the gym 3 – 4 times per week (to maintain our physical wellness), putting in extra time at work to advance our career (vocational wellness), attending an evening class at a local university (educational wellness), or maintaining a Friday evening date with our spouse (social wellness).  While we engage in these activities in an effort to enhance our lives; they often end up adding stress and strain to our ‘over-scheduled’ lives.

Perhaps instead of trying to squeeze more activities into our already busy lives, we need to simplify our lives by scheduling fewer activities– making certain they are activities that impact multiple dimensions of human wellness simultaneously– the ‘power activities.’

For example, rather than going to the gym 3 – 4 times per week and maintaining a Friday night date night, perhaps you and your spouse commit to cycling or hiking together every Saturday morning while reducing the number of visits to the gym. Or, rather than simply reading a book of interest, join a book club that reads and discusses books of interest. This ensures that you set aside time to engage in meaningful activities that contribute to multiple dimensions of human wellness. The more dimensions of wellness positively impacted by any given activity– the more ‘powerful’ the activity.

Mark Mitchell, Chair of the Marketing, Hospitality and Resort Management Department at Coastal Carolina University, is a mentor that always encouraged me to focus on ‘triple-win’ activities.  Since college professors are required to engage in three (3) specific activities– teaching, research and service to the community– he always encouraged faculty members to engage in research projects that also improved our teaching while simultaneously benefiting University stakeholders or other members of the community. Such research projects were considered by Mark as the ‘perfect trifecta.’

In my current academic environment, I participate each semester in our University’s faculty and staff book club. The club is led by our Associate Director of University Ministry; participants read a book that explores some aspect of human spirituality (from a different perspective each semester), which we get together to discuss over lunch every-other week.  It is a ‘power activity’ that positively impacts the spiritual (due to the topics of the books selected), social (since we are expanding and deepening relationships among campus colleagues), emotional (since reading is an activity that improves our mental/emotional wellness), educational (we always learn something new from the books and subsequent discussions), and physical dimensions (we always enjoy a healthful lunch during our discussions) of our personal wellness.

‘Power activities’ are not difficult to fit into your schedule since– once you identify the specific power activities that are most meaningful to you– you quickly recognize their many benefits.  ‘Power activities’ enhance the quality of your life and, quite simply, life feels less fulfilling without them. Consequently, they quickly become a priority.

So, ‘Disconnect and Engage’–– and ‘multi-task’ with ‘power activities’– perhaps you can do two things (or more) at once!

Reference

Adler, R. F., & Benbunan-Fich, R. (2013). Self-interruptions in discretionary multitasking. Computers In Human Behavior, 29(4), 1441-1449. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2013.01.040