Multitasking is a Myth

  As mobile technology has become more portable and more powerful, we are able to do many more things (phone calls, texting, watching movies) in more contexts (driving, walking down the street, waiting in line) than ever before.  Multitasking should be at an all-time high.

But as some recent books about the nature of attention have made clear, multitasking is largely a myth.  When we think we are multitasking, we are not so much doing two things at once as we are rapidly shifting our attention back and forth between those two things.  And all that shifting dramatically depletes our functioning, making it hard to do either thing efficiently or well.

Here's a quick experiment  to prove this point.  Write the phrase "MULTITASKING IS A MYTH" on a piece of paper, but intersperse the numbers 1 - 17 after each letter (M 1 U 2 L 3 T 4... etc.).  Now, write out the same phrase  as you normally would - no numbers in between - and when you finish that, write out the sequence of numbers 1 - 17.  See the difference? [Experiment adapted from this guy.]

While there are some "mindless" tasks that we can do while doing something else (folding laundry in front of the TV, for example) most everyday activities require much more focussed attention than you might think.

Ever turn down the music in your car while looking for parking?  Surf the internet while on a conference call and then realize you haven't been listening for the last 5 minutes?  These are examples of the natural limitations of our attention.  Better to give in to these limits and do one thing at a time, well.

Turn your screens off. Turn off your monitor, close your laptop and stop trying to read the headlines or catch up on email while you're on a conference call.  Be on the call.

Stop the dinging, pinging, flashing email alerts. For goodness sake, if you're trying to get focused work done, turn off your email alerts so you aren't getting pulled into whatever shows up in your inbox.  If you have to stay in the loop while you're getting other things done, schedule a 10 minute email break at the end of every hour, or better yet, every 90 minutes.

Remember that multitasking has consequences. Typos in work emails can make a bad impression, a distracted tone of voice can be read as standoffish, and of course texting while driving can lead to accidents.  There are very real costs to trying to push beyond the rather modest limits of our attention.

Next time you are tempted to split your attention between two or more tasks, ask yourself if the email, relationship, or your safety is important enough to you to get your full attention.

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Happy National Day of Unplugging!

When was the last time you turned off every beeping personal device  -- phone, email, laptop, iPod -- and were unreachable and untouched by media for a defined period of time?  Does the mere thought of doing this give you hives?

The Jewish nonprofit organization Reboot is suggesting we endure the hives this weekend, declaring a National Day of Unplugging for 24 hours starting at sundown tonight.  In accordance with the Jewish practice of shabbat, or sabbath, Reboot suggest that Jews and non-Jews alike experience what it is like to disconnect from technology and reconnect with the non-technological aspects of life.

Striking a similar chord, Peter Bregman's blog this week at Harvard Business Review focused on unplugging during vacation.   He relates what happened when he completely unplugged during a week-long camping trip in the Grand Canyon:

When I returned to civilization — and a phone — I had over 50 messages. But here's what I found most interesting: the first half of the messages all raised problems that needed to be resolved and the second half were the same people telling me not to worry about the first half because they had resolved the problems on their own.

In this way, unplugging can be an exercise in humility.  Yes, you are important -- but not so important that the world will stop turning if you unplug for a day or a week.

Besides a right-sized ego, what are some of the other benefits of unplugging?

Break the "always available" cycle. At my last job, I made myself available at all times to deal with potential work issues.  This was partly due to a culture (to which I contributed) of emailing among colleagues at all hours of the night and over the weekend. Some of these late-night missives were both important and urgent; most were not. By unplugging even for 24 hours, I was able to temporarily sidestep this dynamic and remind myself that it was okay to not be consumed by work 24/7.

Curb attention-splitting, and focus on the here-and-now. Until I practiced unplugging, I didn't fully realize how much I was splitting my attention between the present moment and a colorful, tiny screen.  Turns out a game of  Scrabble is more pleasurable when I am  not checking text messages during my opponent's turn.

Make smarter decisions. You might consider using your unplugged time to do deep thinking about pressing issues in your life.  Why?  Because being less distracted by technology may actually make you a smarter problem-solver. Check out the results of this UK study on the effects of technological distraction (via David Rock):

Eighty volunteers were asked to carry out problem solving tasks, firstly in a quiet environment and then while being bombarded with new emails and phone calls. Although they were told not to respond to any messages, researchers found that their attention was significantly disturbed.  Alarmingly, the average IQ was reduced by 10 points - double the amount seen in studies involving cannabis users... [further,] ...working amid a barrage of incoming information can reduce a person's ability to focus as much as losing a night's sleep.

Remove a major unconscious time-suck. I lose a lot of time to being online.  For others it may be getting sucked into TV or playing Tetris on their phones.  Often this happens unconsciously -- before we know it, it's been 2 hours in front of the screen.  When I unplug and remove the option of getting sucked into the internet, I feel freer to make more conscious choices about how I spend my time.

Rest and re-envision.  A pause in our normal routines can provide space for rest and reflection. As Mordechai Kaplan wrote,

An artist cannot be continuously wielding his brush.  He must stop at times in his painting to freshen his vision of the object, the meaning of which he wishes to express on his canvas.  Living is also an art.

Good luck unplugging, and reconnecting with the art of living.

Have you unplugged recently?  How did it effect you?

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Make a List. Your Brain Will Thank You.

Lists can literally take things off your mind. Image from www.brainexplorer.org

Last month with my birthday approaching, I sat down and made a list.  Not a list of gifts I wanted, but a list of ways I would like to spend my day:

have coffee and an almond croissant

meditate

go to a museum

take a nap

walk around the city

bake something

Though my birthday has passed (I had a great day, and did do a number of things on that list) I've kept the list posted up near my desk.  It serves as a reminder of things that make me happy. I feel happy just looking at it.

Lists can be a vehicle for satisfaction and even joy; they can facilitate focus, relief, and clarity.  (Lists can also stress you out, more on that, and the cardinal rule of list-keeping, later.)  Crossing things off a list is one of life's simple pleasures.

Ever notice how putting something on a list can take it "off your mind"?   There's a neurological basis for this effect.   As David Rock explains in his book Your Brain At Work, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) -- the part of the brain engaged in conscious thought, interaction, and decision-making -- has very limited resources.

Try to hold too many things in your conscious mind at once, and your PFC will become overloaded.  You'll inevitably drop some things and lose track of others.  Thoughts you've already had but failed to do anything about will pop back up at the most inconvenient times.

But externalize those thoughts by making lists, and you will essentially expand your mind. By taking thoughts out of rotation in your PFC and putting them on a list, you will free up precious brain space to have new ideas and make decisions about existing ones.   This is what productivity-guru David Allen means when he says, "your mind is for having ideas, not holding them."

I asked my friends what kinds of lists they keep, and their answers spanned from the mundane (groceries, chores) to the sublime (inspirational ideas, big wishes).  Their lists express both the the need to simply keep moving, and the desire to keep life moving forward.

Here are just some of the lists kept by a handful of my friends:

bike trips

songs I like

business ideas

people to care for in my congregation

thank you notes to write

groceries to buy (staples/specific meals)

bills to pay

chores (as authored by the list-owner's partner)

wish lists for big ideas

things to pack for trips

great movies  I've seen

short-term goals

long-term goals

people I've been meaning to hang out with

master project list

places I want to visit

things I  want to learn

birthdays

inspiring ideas

things to look forward to

I keep the core Getting Things Done lists: Next Actions, Projects, Waiting For, Someday/Maybe.   I keep store-specific shopping lists and lists of blog post ideas. I've always kept a list of activities that make me happy (much like my birthday list).

I was inspired by blogger Jennifer Ketcham to keep not only this happy list (she calls it a "Hooray" list) but also to keep an "Uh-Oh"list.  Jennifer's "Uh-Oh" list enumerates the signs that she is slipping into a rut; it includes things like letting dishes pile up, watching too many Law & Orders in a row, and letting voicemail go unchecked.  When she notices these things happening, she does what she needs to do to prevent herself from slipping further into this undesired state.

The cardinal rule of list maintenance is this:  Review Often, and Let Things Go. As much joy as lists can bring, when they get stale they will fill you with dread.  Who wants to look at a list of things you once committed to doing but now no longer have the time/resources/desire to do?  Ugh.  If you wanted to learn Spanish a year ago but no longer care to, take "buy Spanish instructional books" off of your daily to-do list.  Move it to a Someday/Maybe list, or erase it altogether.

If your lists feel "heavy" to you -- if there are parts of your lists your eyes skip over or your mind tries to avoid -- this is a good sign that it's time to review your commitments.  Either do it, schedule it to be done, or take it off the list.

What kinds of lists do you keep?  How do you keep your lists fresh and relevant?

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8 Great Uses of a Snow Day (Or Other "Found Time")

My former boss used to talk about the wonderful feeling brought about by "found time."  Found time is when you unexpectedly gain free time -- because of a cancelled meeting or a postponed lunch date -- and get to decide how to use it.   As over-scheduled as most of us are, a few hours of found time can feel pretty luxurious.

Much of the East Coast is getting some found time this week in the form of a snow day (or three).  Why not make the most of it? While I wouldn't suggest doing ALL of these things in one day -- after all, you should relax -- I guarantee that taking on two or three of these activities will make you feel more energetic and accomplished than, say, a whole day spent watching HGTV (ahem).

1. Do one task you've been putting off. Crossing something off your list will feel so good, you might even be inspired to do something else. For me, this will be finding out how to change the address on my driver's license.  I moved two years ago, so I expect that finally doing this will feel pretty good!
2. Plan your charitable giving for the coming year. Many of us only make donations at the end of the calendar year or when disaster motivates us to give.  But nonprofits need our generosity year-round for the work they do day in and day out.  Think about how much you are able to donate this year, and consider donating now or in installments over the course of the year.
3. Pick a small area to declutter. What space in your environment aggravates you, embarrasses you, or slows you down? It could be your desk drawer or your sock drawer, the pile on the kitchen table or that black hole where you toss instruction manuals.    Pick a manageable area that you can declutter in an hour or less, and get it done.
4. Check in with your New Year's resolutions. It's February: how are those resolutions going?  It's okay to refine your resolutions or  drop one altogether.  Just be intentional about it!  If you did any end-of-year reflection, revisit your notes from that process.  What's changed already since 2010 began?
5. Do a brain dump. When was the last time you got everything off your mind?  Sit down for 15 minutes and write down everything that is taking up your attention right now - from upcoming birthdays to grocery lists to the broken dining room chair.  Then, identify the next action needed on each item, and put it in your trusted system (a sure-fire process brought to you by David Allen).
6. Create something. Make soup from scratch, build a shelf, assemble homemade Valentines, crochet a scarf for your dog.  There is little as satisfying as creating something from start to finish in one sitting.  Short projects provide instant gratification and don't hang over your head like that sweater you started knitting two years ago.
7. Set a date.  Not to get married (though a blizzard engagement would make a nice story) but to get together with that person you've been meaning to see.  Look at your calendar, find three dates that would work for lunch or for coffee, and suggest to that long-neglected colleague/cousin/college buddy that you finally get some face-time.
8. Write down ideas for how you'd like to use your next block of found time and put your list in a find-able place.

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What are your favorite uses for found time?  If you have a snow day today, how will you use it?

Three Questions for Better Team Meetings

Few aspects of organizational life are the source of as many complaints as meetings: too many meetings, pointless and unproductive meetings, meetings that take time away from "real" work.  But the reality is that much organizational work is done in teams, and teams need to meet.  So why not try to meet better? Team members need to understand why they are meeting, know that their valuable and limited time will be well utilized, and feel that everyone will be held accountable for taking action on the issues discussed.  Here are three questions that I've used to whip team meetings into better shape. Question #1:  What is the purpose of our meeting today? For a meeting to be successful, the team must be able to fill in the blank: "The purpose of today's meeting is to..."  In fact, it is probably a good idea to start meetings with an explicit statement of purpose.

"The purpose of today's meeting is to brainstorm elements of an ideal diversity policy" is different from "The purpose of today's meeting is to finalize the organization's new diversity policy."  Make sure everyone is clear on why they are in the room today.

Question #2  How will we use our limited time together today? After all, we don't have all day. How many meetings have you attended where the group decides to get the small items "out of the way" before moving on to weightier matters -- only to find that there are ten minutes left to discuss the most important issue on the list?

Question #2 speaks to the need for a well-designed agenda.  Agendas should be planned ahead of time, ideally with group input, and should have time limits attached to each topic.

Create an agenda that suggests realistic time frames for each item ("Planning Staff Development Day - 20 minutes") and in my experience, the group will police itself into compliance.  Since everyone wants to get out of the meeting on time, most people will keep one eye on the clock and another on the agenda.  Agendas can be flexible but to avoid time creep, deviations must be acknowledged, not ignored.   Adjustments to the agenda should be verbally agreed upon if the group's time is to be used differently than originally planned.

Question #3 What's the next action here, and who is responsible? There is nothing more frustrating than discussing an issue at length at a meeting, only to have the same conversation again at the next meeting because nothing was ever done.  It is not enough to meet and discuss -- group members must be accountable to one another for outcomes.

So you've just spent twenty minutes talking about a new ordering procedure for toilet paper.  Great!  What is the next action, and who is responsible?  Ditto the intense brainstorming conversation about a new mission statement.  What is the next action and who is responsible?

I suggest asking the next action question repeatedly throughout the course of the meeting. You will sound like a broken record, but that's okay.  Keep track of the next action list and read it aloud at the end of the meeting.  Afterwards, email the next action list to the participants; send it out again the day before the group's next meeting.  Then, start the next meeting with a quick run-through of the next action list, crossing off or carrying over each action.  It usually only takes one round of this ritual for participants to learn that they don't want to show up at the meeting without completing the next actions to which they have committed.

I've used each of these questions to positive effect in teams I've worked with. What questions have you used to make meetings more productive?