Multitasking Does Not Promote Success
In today’s society, under the pressure to be successful, people tend to multitask. Multitasking is commonly thought of as the ability to do several things at the same time. The question is whether or not multitasking helps people achieve success? In my opinion, based on several research studies, people should not multitask because it may lead to disorganization and poor time-management.
According to Education Week staff writer Sarah Sparks, there are many research studies demonstrating that people who multitask always perform their subjects worse than those who do one task at a time. In today’s busy life, people tend to multitask. We don’t recognize that the brain can’t be in two places at the same time. When people try to multitask, they switch their attention between subjects. One of the most famous tests about self-control is the “Marshmallow Test.” In that test, preschoolers were offered two choices. They could receive one marshmallow right away or wait for fifteen minutes to receive two. The results showed that less than one-third of preschoolers had the self-control. Those who received two marshmallows gained a better award in academic and social activities in the years that followed. Those kids who had better self-control during the test were more success in their life. In 2011 study led by Mr. Rosen based on the “Marshmallow test.” The researchers randomly let 185 college students who have A and B grade average to watch a lecture video. During the test, some of students will receive text messages but not all. Those students who received messages and responded were scored ten percent lower than those didn’t. The test demonstrated how distractions affect people’s concentration and decision-making.
One of my experiences as a multitasker is studying while I am at work. I am currently working at Lumber Liquidators and attending Thomas Nelson Community College. My English is not really good. I usually struggle with my English assignments. In order to do my assignments, I carry them everywhere I travel. Even when I am at work, I keep thinking about my English assignments. My position at work is “pit operator.” I am responsible for the products’ information before a forklift-driver moves them to the warehouse. Normally, it takes six to seven minutes to collect a full finished product, which means I have "a five-minute gap" between every finished product to think about my English assignment. I couldn’t completely focus on my assignment because I still have to keep my eyes on my work. I realized that I shouldn’t bring my English assignments everywhere. I couldn’t completely focus on my assignments while I have to do something else. Multitasking is wasting my time and making me stressful.
How do people avoid wasting time and getting into stressful situation? There is an article titled, “Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle: Using Time Effectively, Not Just Efficiently” on Mind Tools website, which was written by the Mind Tools Editorial Team. This article will give people an idea how to reorganize their subjects and activities, which will help archive their goals. It also showed people how to schedule their tasks and put them into time order. Firstly, people must break their tasks and put them into four quadrants: The first is “Quadrant of Crises/Stress.” This quadrant involves things “Important and Urgent,” which need immediate attention to avoid stressful. The second is “Quadrant of Quality.” This quadrant involve things “Important but not Urgent.” If people don’t leave plenty of time for these important tasks and unforeseen things such as assignments, paying bills, or any other things, those things may turn into the first quadrant. The third is “Quadrant of Distraction.” This quadrant is about things “not Important but Urgent,” which prevent you to achieve your goals. The last is “Quadrant of Waste.” This quadrant is about things ”Not Important and not Urgent,” which doesn’t help you achieve your goals but still need in order to keep your balance in life. After putting your tasks into four categories, you need to schedule to perform them base on their importance and urgency.
Being a part of this busy society, I sometimes multitask, but don’t even know. After I learned about multitasking and Eisenhower’s urgent/important principle, I realize that the way I organize my tasks and activities is not reasonable. Because of unreasonable organized tasks and activities, I have been wasting my time and put myself into stress situations. To avoid stressing and perform better at my tasks and activities, I will follow Eisenhower’s urgent/important principle, which gives me an idea that I have to determine and reorganize my tasks or activities from most to least important. Then I will create a “To-do” list, which shows all the jobs which have to be done based on their time order. I also have to reduce as much as possible entertainment activities but not all because sometime, my body and my brain need to relax to balance and reproduce energy for long-term goals. Being well organized will help me do my jobs quicker; that will help save me some time to deal with those unexpected things, which always appear like part of my life.
I strongly believe that people should not multitasking because our brain can’t be in two places at the same time. People should focus on one thing to get it done before switching their attention to other things. Being well organize and using time management are very important for people who want to be successful. The time Management Matrix is one of the useful sources that may help people reorganize their tasks in order to achieve goals. “Using time effectively, not just efficiently.”
Works Cited
“Urgent/Important Matrix: Using Time Effectively Not Just Efficiently” Mind Tools. 29 Mar. 2012 <http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_91.htm>.
Speaks, Sarah. "Studies on Multitasking Highlight of Self Control.” Education Week. 15 May 2012.
<http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/05/16/31multitasking_ep.h31.html?tkn=PTWFGpBwR5o7bKrnCvQZswL8Vr%2BlUoJB%2B62c&cmp=clp-edweek>.
Mueller, Steve. "Stephen Covey's Time Management Matrix Explained." Planet of Success. 09 Oct. 2015. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.planetofsuccess.com/blog/2015/stephen-coveys-time-management-matrix-explained/>.
"Study Guides and Strategies." Study Guides and Strategies. N.D. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.studygs.net/>.
"Organization." The Learning Toolbox - Organization. N.D. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
<http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/organization.html>.