Multitasking has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. It was something I always strived to improve and strengthen. Being in a family of five children, I felt that I had gotten pretty good at doing it. What I have come to learn is that it is much more than the one skill of “multitasking.” I learned I have actually acquired a combination of many skills and with the help of knowing how to accommodate and prioritize my time efficiently I can use those skills to achieve many goals and achieve my purpose in life.
In a feature article in Education Week, May 2012, “Studies on Multitasking Highlight Value of Self-Control,” the author, Sarah D. Sparks, expounds her research on the myth of multitasking and how she views self-control should be the real ability people should learn to master. The article claims that, author and professor at California State University, Larry D. Rosen found that young adults age 13- to 18-year-old on average use six or more types of media simultaneously when they are not in school. Further, he goes on to convey that because of this young adults of today’s society have grown up with the tendency “to pay continuous partial attention”. Consequently, this tendency gives rise to why so many struggle with fully concentrating on any one thing. Sparks suggests that the brain cannot “be in two places at once.” According to Steven G. Yantis, a researcher at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, it actually takes someone a lengthier amount of time to try to “multitask” than it would for them to do one task and then the other. Further, he explains that because the brain has to choose it delays the time in completing or reacting to the other task. The type of tasks and how much of a distraction it is determines the delay length. According to studies, researchers found that “multitaskers” did not perform as well on memory and attention tests compared to those who do one thing at a time. The actual amount of information that is absorbed is affected when a reader’s attention is interrupted to take a phone call, email, or text message. Most of what is read is not retained because the reader has to stop, direct their focus on to something else, and then come back and try to refocus on the reading material again. Also, it takes a little time to get the brain to start taking in the information that is now being read. The article claims Yantis said, "Working memory depends strongly on how well you can control selective attention and ignore distractions. High-value distraction significantly slows performance.” According to studies researchers have done, the ability to have self-control and not letting the want of self-satisfaction take over the need of the task at hand was a big factor in the results. One study that has provided a lot of information for researchers is called the “Marshmallow Test.” This test was given to four- and five-year-old children in 1970 at Stanford University. The children were given marshmallows and asked not to eat them for fifteen minutes to receive a prize. The children’s results were tracked on how many had enough self-control to follow directions. Based on the results of the test and the tracking of their lives for many years after, researchers found that the kids that showed more self-control during the test had all around better life experiences. In the article, Sparks goes on to agree with Rosen and Cathy N. Davidson, the author of Now You See It, that because of how involved in our life technology, media, and the need for “multitasking” are it is impossible for us to eliminate them. What is suggested is to learn to use self-control and good decision making in order to get things done in the best and fastest way. Continuously trying to get better and working on our ability to function accurately is what we need to teach people (Sparks).
In my past experiences being able to “multitask” was a strong skill set to have. I expressed great pride being able to do so and even considered it to be one of my strongest qualities. Little did I realize, I had never “multitasked” in my entire life. The human brain is actually not able to process two conscious tasks at the same time. It is not possible. What I learned is my past experiences have actually trained me to do so much more. I have learned to adjust my focus on tasks based on specific specifications that fit at that specific time. As a retail store manager I had to continually adjust my focus on tasks of all kinds. Quick adjustments to new situations and prioritizing again was something I learned to do in my sleep. Situations, as these, would rise when I would be helping one customer locate an item and another customer would walk up to me with a question. At the exact same time an employee would let me know over the radio that my district manager was holding for me on line two. Just following that the buzzer for the back door would go off indicating that our delivery truck had arrived and the driver was waiting out back. Quickly adjusting from being needed by one person to being needed by four people in four different places at one time is something I became use to very fast. I had to. But properly prioritizing my attention and decisions took time. Learning and understanding the right time to shift my attention and to what I should shift it to and for how long was something I worked on every day. I always felt there was room for improvement. I also continuously worked on my ability to quickly refocus and become productive again. Additionally, in retail there are also a lot of distractions all around, forcing my attention in many directions. The need for self-control is vital. In some cases I would be assisting a customer while an associate would be calling for me over the radio, another customer was trying to get my attention, and I note that one of my tech associates was thirty minutes late for their shift. I had to be able to control my attention enough to satisfy the needs of the customer that is in front of me first. While doing that I would also find the right time to slightly shift my attention to what associates are available to assist the other customer acknowledging them and letting them know someone would be right with them. Then, while still continuing to take care of my customer I would have to find out why my associate needs me. Based on the reply I would decide if I should break away from my customer for a second or ask my associate to wait until I was done or tell them to find a lead to help them. While doing that I would make a quick request for a lead to contact the tardy associate. Without having the ability to control my attention, thought process and responses to these kinds of situations would have resulted in very angry customers, a drop in store sales, and eventually losing my job. Though I found I am not as great at “multitasking” as I thought; I realized that I possess several other strong qualities. Qualities like, quickly adjusting to become productive, a strong sense of self-control, and effective prioritizing. All strong skills I can be proud of.
In a feature article in The Art of Manliness website, October 2013, “The Eisenhower Decision Matrix: How to Distinguish Between Urgent and Important Tasks and Make Real Progress in Your Life,” the authors, Brett and Kate McKay, express the importance of people knowing the difference between something that is important and something that is urgent. They Agree with Steven Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and former president Dwight D. Eisenhower that people who spend most of their time on the important things will find it less difficult to accomplish their goals and arrive to their purpose in life and, in essence, help society as a whole do the same. They concentrate on the strategies former president Dwight D. Eisenhower used in his successful years as a five-star general and president. Dividing things up between what is urgent and what is important, they explain how accomplishing urgent things usually involves something that is rushed and causes a person to not feel as confident and assured in what is being done. While accomplishing important things allow a man to feel at ease and confidant that they are closer to their purpose in life. They refer to Steven Covey and his “Eisenhower’s Decision Principle,” expressed in his book. The principle outlines his version of the strategies Eisenhower used in his successful years, referred to as the “Decision Matrix.” Using this matrix, Covey intended to help people make decisions based on what is and is not important and what is and is not urgent and understanding the difference between them. Covey uses the matrix to divide tasks into four quadrants and has the user, place the task in one of the quadrants. The quadrants are 1) Important and Urgent, 2) Important, but Not Urgent, 3) Not Important, but Urgent, and 4) Not Important and Not Urgent. Tasks in quadrant one are tasks that have a necessary deadline or an unexpected beneficial need to take priority. Some examples include homework for classes, a flat tire, or addressing a child’s behavior issues in school. Though people may never get rid of quadrant one tasks, planning and organization is suggested to control the amount of tasks in that quadrant. Further, tasks in quadrant two are tasks that are not pressed for time, but are a priority in accomplishing one’s short-term goals and long-term purposes in life. Some examples of this type of task are exercising, family time, weekly planning, and budgeting money. These will help eliminate possible future urgencies. The article conveys that Covey suggests quadrant two should be the area that a person should expend the majority of their effort and time into because those tasks will present the most benefits and progress. Moreover, quadrant three tasks are usually tasks that require immediate attention but that do not accomplish anything that will result in becoming closer to arriving to one’s own purpose in life. A few examples of these activities are phone calls, text messages, and favors for other people. Covey explains that most of someone’s time is spent in quadrant 3 thinking they are spending time on tasks in quadrant 1. Balancing quadrant 2 and quadrant 3 tasks is needed to accomplish long-term goals. Lastly, quadrant four are tasks that waste time. Common activities that are categorized in this quadrant are watching TV, playing video games, and browsing the web for no particular reason. Only allow very short amounts of time on these activities to relax and loosen up from the demands of the day. Finally, Brett and Kate McKay express their feelings on how significant being able to decide what is urgent and what is important and how beneficial it is to possess that skill. Even more, they challenge everyone to try using Covey’s decision matrix with as many things as they can. They promise that if people spend the majority of their time and effort on important not urgent tasks and assess the best way to divide their time between the 4 quadrants they will make substantial progress in their goals (McKay and McKay).
There is so much that I need to do to become the person I’ve set out to be and accomplish all the goals I have set for myself to get there. The trick to it all is to manage time wisely. Something I am not as good at as I would like to be. I am a person that takes on everyone else’s problems and obligations and exhausts all my efforts to help them out. I tend to send more time on helping everyone else to accomplish their goals and if I get mine in at the same time it is a plus. After using the time management matrix I realized that I spend a lot of my time in quadrant three, on things that are urgent but not necessarily important in getting to where I want to be. Also, though I don’t spend much time in quadrant four, on things that are neither urgent nor important, I spend much more time than I need to. All the while, not spending the time and effort I should be on quadrant two, on things that are not urgent but very important factors in accomplishing my success. As for the tasks in Quadrant One, things that are important and urgent, I am pretty good at balancing out and doing when I need to and getting them done and moving on. I thought a lot about what my reason is for using my time the way I do. With the help of the article in The Art of Manliness website, October 2013, “The Eisenhower Decision Matrix: How to Distinguish Between Urgent and Important Tasks and Make Real Progress in Your Life,” by Brett & Kate McKay, I realized that the biggest trigger is I constantly change what I am heading towards and what is most important in getting there. Because of this, I allow myself to exhaust all my time on other people, weather it benefits me or detriments me from moving in a positive direction. Now that I have all this knowledge about time management and I understand the importance and difference of urgent and important, I feel I am better capable of making my decision and sticking to it. By determining my goals and what I want to accomplish I will be able to divide my time into what helps me get there. Weekly planning is going to be one of the biggest factors in my success. Taking the time I do have and dedicating it to specific things at specific times will give me the balance I need. It will also help me to notice when I am spending too much time on tasks that are not beneficial to my success. I will dedicate time to spend with my children, Adam, and my family and friends. I will also make sure to set a good amount of time to study and do my assignments. I am pretty good at taking care of my urgent and important tasks, so I will use that strength and schedule as many things as I can so I am not pressed to do so much in the last second or to keep unscheduled things from popping up so often. Just as Brett & Kate McKay expressed, I feel that spending most my time on things that are important to me yet setting them up so they are not so pressed for time is the best way to accomplish my goals and gaining my success. Continuing to follow in this direction will allow me to become the person I have set out to be.
Taking what I have learned and using what I already know I feel I have a lot of the tools to become the person I want to be and have the life I envisioned for myself and my children. I just have to keep pushing and doing what is needed to get to where I want to go. How long it takes me to get there and what I put myself through on the way is all up to me.
Works Cited
McKay, Brett, and Kate McKay. "The Eisenhower Decision Matrix: How to Distinguish Between Urgent and Important Tasks and Make Real Progress in Your Life." The Art of Manliness. 23 Oct. 2013. Web. 25 March 2015.
<http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/10/23/eisenhower-decision-matrix/>.
Sparks, Sarah. "Studies on Multitasking Highlight Value of Self-Control." Education Week. 15 May 2012. Web. 19 March 2015. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/05/16/31multitasking_ep.h31.html?tkn=PTWFGpBwR5o7bKrnCvQZswL8Vr+lUoJB+62c&cmp=clp-edweek>.
