The piece in Psychology Today addresses the inefficiency of multitasking. It asserts:
Doing more than one task at a time, especially more than one complex task, takes a toll on productivity. Although that shouldn't surprise anyone who has talked on the phone while checking E-mail or talked on a cell phone while driving, the extent of the problem might come as a shock. Psychologists who study what happens to cognition (mental processes) when people try to perform more than one task at a time have found that the mind and brain were not designed for heavy-duty multitasking. Psychologists tend to liken the job to choreography or air-traffic control, noting that in these operations, as in others, mental overload can result in catastrophe.The article goes on to briefly describe a series of studies supporting this finding, including studies comparing the efficiency of people who focus on a single task to those switching between two or more tasks, finding that the former were significantly more efficient.
Turning to the passage from the Baha'i Writings that's been coming up so frequently recently, 'Abdu'l-Baha states:
I found the analogy of the sun shining on a convex lens to be a really powerful illustration of the effect of concentration and focus. It brought back memories from my not-too-distant childhood days of focusing the sun through a magnifying glass on a piece of paper, and promptly burning a hole through it!So long as the thoughts of an individual are scattered he will achieve no results, but if his thinking be concentrated on a single point wonderful will be the fruits thereof.
One cannot obtain the full force of the sunlight when it is cast on a flat mirror, but once the sun shineth upon a concave mirror, or on a lens that is convex, all its heat will be concentrated on a single point, and that one point will burn the hottest. Thus is it necessary to focus one's thinking on a single point so that it will become an effective force.
I've been trying to understand what this concept means in practical terms, from becoming more focused in service to avoiding unecessary distractions at work to focusing on being more present in daily interactions. It seems like a big part of this process is prioritization--in order to determine the single point that one's thinking should be focused on, it is necessary to determine what is most important in any given situation, and in life more generally. It would be great to hear other people's experiences with this topic; what does focus mean to you? How do you implement it practically?
8 comments:
Victor,
I agree with the author that it is very wise to focus on one action at a time to do it well. However consider that time is often a luxury and that in some cases multitasking is indispensable. Surprisingly it takes very little training to become very good at it when called for. I am thinking for example of the tasks that a mother has to perform at any given time if she has more than one child: keep an eye on three different pans on the stove while changing the baby’s diaper, settling a dispute among the two older kids and listening to Dad’s work complaints…. It is all done with such efficiency that none of the subjects would think for a minute that they could wait in line for their turn or offer their help! It is sometimes difficult for a mother to avoid burnout in these conditions so un-learning multitasking to an extent might also be good. Multitasking also gets more difficult as one gets older, but again so does focusing on the task at hand…
Claudine
Medical professionals also need to multitask and trouble-shoot several crises simultaneously. For example Anesthesiologists, Critical Care Physicians, and Emergency Physicians need to do that on a regular basis as they are facing critical situations that are multi-factorial often involving several patients all at once.
I feel blessed to have had comments from my parents on this post!
Claudine, I did a quick search of "women" and "multitasking" on Google and found this interesting, and somewhat humorous, article: http://www.careerjournal.com/columnists/workfamily/20030321-workfamily.html
Interestingly, as in your comment, the article points to the possibility that multitasking is a learned ability that could be acquired with practice. It also seems to point to the burnout that can result from multitasking that you mention. I am grateful for your comment!
And Bilo, it certainly seems that the workplace is an area of a great deal of multitasking! I wonder if there are ways to alleviate that to some extent in the medical arena, or if that would be desirable?
No doubt focus is highly important, and the passage quoted from Abdu'l-Baha perfectly encapsulates why.
However research and experience shows that some types of minds work much better when involved in diverse activities. I hope to write about this on my blog sometime, I'll let you know when!
I know that if I focus on one project for too long, I run dry easier. Exercising your artistic mind can make you a better scientist and vice versa. Of course every project will have periods that require most of your attention for a protracted period.
The crucial point may be whether one is following through on several projects with maintained focus, or diverting focus by having a new project that's cast by the wayside every day.
Multi-tasking is a different theme altogether, I feel. Multi-tasking, as mentioned by bilo, is required as part of focus in many professions.
What do you think Victor?
A further point which you alluded to is "being more present in daily interactions."
Thank you for reminding me. This is something that's easily neglected when we try to do too much!
Thanks for this great discussion! I like all the points being raised. Perhaps women's experience in mutitasking can be seen also as a result of focus. The focus might be seen in a broad view as nurturing growth and development both in the family and society. This single focus requires the completion of multiple tasks. I think a lot of progress is being made in sharing responsibilities between men and women at home and work. For example, Vic is very helpful with the dishes and folding up the clothes, cooking (among many other things - Thanks Claudine and Bilo!!) More cooperation will enable greater progress in society.
Much love from the other half, Shahla
It is true that focus and multitasking can co-exist and feed on each other. This happens frequently in the medical specialties mentioned here before, in which ‘deep’ focus is an essential component of multitasking. Through training and experience this process becomes seamless--again just like riding a bicycle—and one ends up doing both without much thought given to it.
Dear Misagh,
Thank you very much for your thought-provoking comments. I look forward to reading the post on your blog about how some minds work better when involved in diverse activities. This dialogue is bringing to mind that one can be involved in several different tasks, and yet still be focused. One thing that struck me about the passage from 'Abdu'l-Baha is His reference to an individual's thoughts being scattered. This seems to be the thing to avoid. Potentially, one's thoughts could be scattered while engaging in a single task, and one's thoughts could be focused while engaged in multiple tasks. So perhaps it is the state of mind that more important than whether one is egaging in more than one task. Incidentally, there is an interesting anecdote about 'Abdu'l-Baha in the book "Memories of Nine Years in Akka" entitled "One task does not distract Him from another." I thought you might find it interesting.
Shahla's comment shed light on this for me too. She refers to the broad focus on familial and societal development that a mother might have in raising a child, and that while remaining focused on this goal, she completes multiple tasks. It seems like when we do have that singular, broader focus, all of the smaller tasks fall into place and are more easily managed. But it certainly is a constant struggle!
I also really appreciated Bilo's comment about the concept of 'deep' focus and how the process can become seamless, like riding a bicycle. It reminds me of the process of meditation in some ways. It truly is amazing what the human mind is capable of!
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