Multi-tasking or a bunch of single-tasking?

Alright I'm probably going to irritate someone with this post, but here goes.

We all have to multi-task today, right? Here's the definition of it:

Multi-tasking: The ability of a person to perform more than one task at the same time

My question is: are we really, really multi-tasking or are we overloading our lives single-tasking? How many of us are booked back to back to back all day long? How many of us leave work every day feeling we have more on our plate than we did in the morning?

I submit that all too often we are single-tasking all day long until we are on the verge of collapse.

If you're really multi-tasking, you have multiple things being accomplished well, at the same time. Why doesn't this happen as often as we'd like? because to truly multi-task, you have to work with people, you have to motivate them, you have organize, to simplify--it takes some hard thinking and it takes inspiring someone to play a specific role. That can be uncomfortable. So, we tend to our stuff and plod through the day doing one thing, then another, then another and look up at the clock and pack up to go home.

Moms, dads, business execs, ministers--people from all walks of life fall into the single-task trap. If you're getting s lot done and feel fresh and inspired, you're probably multi-tasking. If not, read the definition above and re-think your approach.


Barry LaBov
CEO, LaBov and Beyond Marketing Communications
www.labov.com