You CAN
do two things at once -- as long as you don't care about quality.
I've long
preached that the secret of good writing is not trying to write and edit
at the same time. Write first, edit later. And that goes whether you're
writing advertising copy or code. Your brain has to get in the zone.
Juggling
multiple client projects never used to bother me. But as I get older
(and hopefully a little wiser) I find that I not only struggle to
multi-task, but I really prefer to start one project and see it through
to the end before tackling another. It just seems to go faster and work
better.
Well,
turns out it's not just me. A study published in the Journal of
Neuroscience confirmed what many of us suspected. It takes your brain
four times longer to get re-focused, back in the zone, when it’s
switching back and forth between tasks. Makes sense.
Organizing
and productivity guru Julie Morgenstern talked about it in a
recent e-newsletter:
"Once
thought to be a critical time management skill, multi-tasking has been
scientifically proven to impair memory, increase stress, and make us
LESS productive...
"Multi-tasking does not bring out our best selves. Instead, it leaves
us feeling exhausted, ineffective, and ultimately, deeply
unsatisfied."
Morgenstern goes on to suggest making a time map -- basically just a
simplified schedule -- so you set up a certain time to do this, and
another time to do that. She says it eliminates the need to multi-task,
and puts you back in control of your days.
"It’s a
tool I’ve been teaching for years—but which used to generate mixed
reactions in audiences. Lately, everyone LOVES the concept—the Time
Map is a tool whose time has clearly come."
What about
you? Do you prefer doing many things at once? Or having a one-track
mind? Which way is most productive for you?
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