Tuesday, December 30, 2008
THE SECRET TO MULTI-TASKING
The secret to multi-tasking is to create a beacon or marker for all tasks that are not the one that you are currently working on. The reason is that multi-tasking always involves leaving-off where you once were to switch or change to another task. This switching creates the possibility that you will forget, delay, or otherwise not get back to the task you switched from.
Obviously, the last task that you are on, current task minus one, was itself a priority until it changed in an instant. Why then should we forget to get back to it?
Keep in mind that multi-tasking involves numerous instances of these switches or changes in one person’s work day or ongoing workload. Thus, there is the possibility of numerous undone, uncompleted, ongoing tasks. There is also the possibility, that we will get wrapped up in the latest task and forget the immediacy that drove us to the prior task including possible important deadlines.
The secret of multi-tasking then involves marking and getting back to the marks. And, that itself, involves the requirement of a system. After all, all undone tasks that were switched from on the way to the one we are currently on, cannot be the utmost priority. Only one of them would qualify for that.
Hence, the need for a system to handle the beacons and markers of multi-tasks and not just to mark them. The MasterList is just such a system.
The secret to multi-tasking is to create a beacon or marker for all tasks that are not the one that you are currently working on. The reason is that multi-tasking always involves leaving-off where you once were to switch or change to another task. This switching creates the possibility that you will forget, delay, or otherwise not get back to the task you switched from.
Obviously, the last task that you are on, current task minus one, was itself a priority until it changed in an instant. Why then should we forget to get back to it?
Keep in mind that multi-tasking involves numerous instances of these switches or changes in one person’s work day or ongoing workload. Thus, there is the possibility of numerous undone, uncompleted, ongoing tasks. There is also the possibility, that we will get wrapped up in the latest task and forget the immediacy that drove us to the prior task including possible important deadlines.
The secret of multi-tasking then involves marking and getting back to the marks. And, that itself, involves the requirement of a system. After all, all undone tasks that were switched from on the way to the one we are currently on, cannot be the utmost priority. Only one of them would qualify for that.
Hence, the need for a system to handle the beacons and markers of multi-tasks and not just to mark them. The MasterList is just such a system.
