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How Not to Multi-Task
May. 27th, 2008 12:03 amIt has gotten to the point where I no longer want to practice driving. I find it boring and monotonous practicing the same old things over and over again: parking, three point turn, remembering to signal, stopping at the right time. I drive in circles never going more than 4 miles per hour and it's just plain dull. I don't feel ready to drive around other cars or drivers yet, but I wish there were something more I could do, some new challenge I could tackle.
Greg says I need to keep practicing because I'm not proficient yet. He says I need to become better at multi-tasking. But, you know what all these driving lessons, as well as the last few months of work have taught me? I suck at multi-tasking! Not only that but I have ALWAYS sucked at multi-tasking! My brain just isn't hard-wired for it. Take driving for example; When you're driving you need to pay attention to a lot of stuff: the cars around you, the road in front of you, the lines on the road, road signs, pedestrians. This weekend I learned, A) that I tend to zero in on one thing when I'm driving, usually the road, and tune out everything else. Those of you who have known me for a while know that this is how I studied in school, how I get through my commute each morning, how I accomplish things. I give one task all of my focus because that is the only way I have ever been able to get anything done. Unfortunately, when I do this while driving I end up ignoring other vital information. This makes me a shitty driver. And B) when I try to focus on everything I am unable to focus on anything and end up missing vital information. This, too, makes me a bad driver. I don't know how or if I am going to get over this hurdle. Greg says driving is nothing but multi-tasking, so if I suck at multi-tasking how will I ever learn to drive?
As I said, I've been noticing this at work as well. I know it says I'm a good multi-tasker on my resume, but you kind of HAVE to say that if you want to get a job these days. Truth is I am at my sloppiest when I have to juggle more than one task. I feel rushed, scattered, and I frequently fuck up when I have to handle more than one project at a time. Kind of explains why I've always been such a shitty student and why I always seemed to do well during terms when I took classes all within the same discipline. Dealing with multiple homework assignments and differing subjects always made my brain go ka-plooey.
I don't know if multi-tasking is something that can be learned. Goodness knows I've been trying to figure out how to do it for years. It never really occurred to me before this weekend that it was something I don't and have never been able to do well. I just thought my inability to handle stuff was due to some sort of inherent character flaw. But, now I realize it's not. It's no more a character flaw than the fact that I'm a visual learner - it's just the easiest and most comforterable way for me to take in new information. Multi-tasking just isn't the easiest nor my most preferred way to accomplish tasks. I do much better when I can work on one thing at a time and work at my own pace. That doesn't make me a lazy slacker.
Though this is a very useful thing to know about myself, I don't know what good this knowledge will do me. Fact remains that I can't multi-task and a large number of the things I would like to succeed at doing in this world require that I be a good multi-tasker. Do you think it's something I can learn? Is it possible to train my brain to deal with lots of input all at once, or should I just accept that my brain doesn't work that way and quit trying to make it?
PS - Greg and I accidentally stumbled upon the best Halloween costume ever while watching (and heckling) Metal Mania on VH1 Classic last night: dressing up as Ronnie James Dio as he appeared in the video to Rainbow in the Dark. I mean, the man is wearing Uggz - high-heeled lavender Uggz. And you will note that the zipper on his shirt gets lower and lower as the video progresses. Really, is there anything scarier?
Greg says I need to keep practicing because I'm not proficient yet. He says I need to become better at multi-tasking. But, you know what all these driving lessons, as well as the last few months of work have taught me? I suck at multi-tasking! Not only that but I have ALWAYS sucked at multi-tasking! My brain just isn't hard-wired for it. Take driving for example; When you're driving you need to pay attention to a lot of stuff: the cars around you, the road in front of you, the lines on the road, road signs, pedestrians. This weekend I learned, A) that I tend to zero in on one thing when I'm driving, usually the road, and tune out everything else. Those of you who have known me for a while know that this is how I studied in school, how I get through my commute each morning, how I accomplish things. I give one task all of my focus because that is the only way I have ever been able to get anything done. Unfortunately, when I do this while driving I end up ignoring other vital information. This makes me a shitty driver. And B) when I try to focus on everything I am unable to focus on anything and end up missing vital information. This, too, makes me a bad driver. I don't know how or if I am going to get over this hurdle. Greg says driving is nothing but multi-tasking, so if I suck at multi-tasking how will I ever learn to drive?
As I said, I've been noticing this at work as well. I know it says I'm a good multi-tasker on my resume, but you kind of HAVE to say that if you want to get a job these days. Truth is I am at my sloppiest when I have to juggle more than one task. I feel rushed, scattered, and I frequently fuck up when I have to handle more than one project at a time. Kind of explains why I've always been such a shitty student and why I always seemed to do well during terms when I took classes all within the same discipline. Dealing with multiple homework assignments and differing subjects always made my brain go ka-plooey.
I don't know if multi-tasking is something that can be learned. Goodness knows I've been trying to figure out how to do it for years. It never really occurred to me before this weekend that it was something I don't and have never been able to do well. I just thought my inability to handle stuff was due to some sort of inherent character flaw. But, now I realize it's not. It's no more a character flaw than the fact that I'm a visual learner - it's just the easiest and most comforterable way for me to take in new information. Multi-tasking just isn't the easiest nor my most preferred way to accomplish tasks. I do much better when I can work on one thing at a time and work at my own pace. That doesn't make me a lazy slacker.
Though this is a very useful thing to know about myself, I don't know what good this knowledge will do me. Fact remains that I can't multi-task and a large number of the things I would like to succeed at doing in this world require that I be a good multi-tasker. Do you think it's something I can learn? Is it possible to train my brain to deal with lots of input all at once, or should I just accept that my brain doesn't work that way and quit trying to make it?
PS - Greg and I accidentally stumbled upon the best Halloween costume ever while watching (and heckling) Metal Mania on VH1 Classic last night: dressing up as Ronnie James Dio as he appeared in the video to Rainbow in the Dark. I mean, the man is wearing Uggz - high-heeled lavender Uggz. And you will note that the zipper on his shirt gets lower and lower as the video progresses. Really, is there anything scarier?
