There is so much emphasis these days on multi-tasking, on doing more than one thing at a time.  Most of us already multi-task to some degree.  We can run a load of laundry while we take the dog for a walk and take a shower while the clothes are in the dryer.  

So while some multitasking may increase our efficiency, a lot of what we do is really a distraction from what we could (or should) be focusing our undivided attention on.  But much of what we actually do is either unnecessary or unnecessarily fragmented and that leads to inefficiency.

There seems to be a perversely pervasive premium on busy-ness.  People proudly proclaim how busy they are, feeling that is somehow increases their self-importance.  Hoping that others will be duly impressed, they chat all the while on their cell phone in an attempt to use up all those free minutes -- even when there's nothing to be said.

It's easy to slip into a thought process that's very similar to the way some folks use their TV remote control.  They jump from program to program hoping to somehow assimilate everything even mildly interesting or useful from all the hundreds of available cable channels.  They're compelled to watch one TV show while recording another to watch at a time sometime later when they're not as busy (as if that will ever happen).

People who don't subscribe to the busy-is-better lifestyle may be looked down upon or risk being called lazy, unmotivated underachievers.  It's important to be able to draw the line that determines whether we become more or less efficient as we balance diversity and distraction.

It's my opinion that when multi-tasking of necessary, relatively mundane chores can be efficiently done without requiring our undivided intention, it makes perfect sense.

But the challenge is eliminating or de-prioritizing the truly unnecessary, optional, or frivolous tasks that make little or any real difference in the grand scheme of things.  All of our time (and then some) could easily be consumed by these tasks, effectively diverting our attention from more important things.

While some diversity is almost undeniably a good thing, too much diversity inevitably becomes a distraction.  Rather than being well-rounded, we risk becoming overly fragmented with no clear path or purpose.  Ultimately, it comes down to making the best use of our time and prioritizing what's most important to us.

Top of Page