Multi-tasking is a myth

April 7, 2008 By Jeff Waters . 4 Comments
Filed Under: Personal Productivity, Random Upfront Thoughts

You can’t do 63 things at once. Focus on 1 and KILL IT!!!
                                                   – Dave Ramsey

  • http://www.derrekcooper.com/ Derrek Cooper

    hmm.. interesting philosophy. Personally, I rather be an A- kind of guy in ten subjects rather than an A+ in 1 and 0′s in the rest.

  • http://www.derrekcooper.com Derrek Cooper

    hmm.. interesting philosophy. Personally, I rather be an A- kind of guy in ten subjects rather than an A+ in 1 and 0′s in the rest.

  • Jeff Waters

    Yeah, this can be interpreted different ways I guess. I also would prefer to have an A in 10 subjects.

    I really intended this to be taken on a less philosophical, more mundane level. If you walk in to work and feel like you can’t get anything done because you have too many balls in the air, that ain’t going to change in a month. You’ll still be nervous and feeling behind all the time.

    To me, this means “pick 1 of the 63 and totally focus on it until it’s dead without giving a thought to the other 62.” Then, focus on #62 with complete intensity and kill it. Then 61 and so on.

    Maximum attention on 1 problem, kill it, move to the next, repeat.

    That’s the only way to gain control if you are wearing lots of hats…

  • Jeff Waters

    Yeah, this can be interpreted different ways I guess. I also would prefer to have an A in 10 subjects.

    I really intended this to be taken on a less philosophical, more mundane level. If you walk in to work and feel like you can’t get anything done because you have too many balls in the air, that ain’t going to change in a month. You’ll still be nervous and feeling behind all the time.

    To me, this means “pick 1 of the 63 and totally focus on it until it’s dead without giving a thought to the other 62.” Then, focus on #62 with complete intensity and kill it. Then 61 and so on.

    Maximum attention on 1 problem, kill it, move to the next, repeat.

    That’s the only way to gain control if you are wearing lots of hats…