Comments on: I’m Writing This Post While Watching TV

By: Brandon R Allen

Brandon R Allen — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:05:19 +0000

Amber,

Glad you were inspired. Balancing projects and kids is definitely a tricky business. Good luck!

By: Amber

Amber — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 01:07:40 +0000

This really hit home for me as I’m dealing with about 15 (okay 25) partly done projects and it’s driving me crazy. I realize as a mother of three, I need to be realistic about my expectations, but because my time is so limited, why don’t I use it most effectively? This gives me renewed fervor to pick a project, see it through till the end and then move on. Thanks!

By: Brandon R Allen

Brandon R Allen — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 22:06:29 +0000

Garrett,

Thanks for stopping by. This is an area that you have really dialed in over the years. Focus is key and it allows us to stand in our power and do the work we were meant to do.

By: Garrett Gunderson

Garrett Gunderson — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 21:46:24 +0000

Focus, focus, focus. Absolutely key. With all the electronics or gadgets, I took Brandon’s advice and I leave my phone upstairs once I get home, never check email after I get home at night, and am able to focus on my family. My most productive time is when I am on an airplane and have no interruptions: i can write, edit, and finish projects in one-third of the time. Multitasking is a way to lower our focus and therefore our power.

By: Brandon R Allen

Brandon R Allen — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 18:03:03 +0000

Jeff,

I hope I didn’t smack you too hard. Thanks for the comment and for suggesting that I am “brilliant”.

By: Brandon R Allen

Brandon R Allen — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 18:02:23 +0000

Jen,

It’s embarrassing when our kids point this out. I left my phone at home recently and one of the kids said. “Great news!” when I mentioned that I had forgot it. OK point taken.

By: Brandon R Allen

Brandon R Allen — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 18:01:14 +0000

Glad you got a chuckle put of that. What business owners forget to consider is the experience to the client/customer when you have to do other things while also taking care of them. I know for a lot of business owners that I work with that they don’t do a great job delegating for their assistants either and so everything is a dire emergency which is also stressful.

Thanks for stopping by.

By: Ollie B

Ollie B — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 15:46:02 +0000

I have to LOL at this article because as an Executive Administrative Assistant; all job descriptions list: Great at multitasking – as one of their top priorities. I wish companies would get a grip and 1) read your article and 2) realize that too many mistakes are made when expected to balance cash collection, answer the phone, and take care of customers at the counter. It is a disaster, stressful and setting someone up for failure or a massive anxiety attack. Thanks for your insight.

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:21:49 +0000

Good stuff! I am ashamed to say my kids have gotten after me several times for being on my phone while “listening” to them.

By: Jeff Pippin

Jeff Pippin — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:22:23 +0000

Way to smack me on the side of the head while I was reading this and trying to sort the mess on my desk (and probably still evaluating the last appointment I had) at the same time. It was your point about the time it takes to get back to focused on the productive tasks when your mind has been distracted that I realized how much efficiency I’m losing. As always, fantastic info from a brilliant mind.

By: Brandon R Allen

Brandon R Allen — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:23:52 +0000

Thanks for back up Tim.

By: Brandon R Allen

Brandon R Allen — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:23:04 +0000

Gina,

Thanks for stopping by. Great point about setting expectations. There is nothing worse than having people expect you to return an e-mail right away and it’s usually because we set the rules of the game.

By: Tim Brownson

Tim Brownson — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:11:48 +0000

Louche, listening to an ipod whilst doing something else like writing is not multitasking.

Multitasking refers to doing two or more things at a conscious level at the same time. We can all multitask efficiently at an unconscious level, after all if we had to intervene to beat our heart, digest our food, blink our eye lids etc we’d soon run out of mental bandwidth.

What Brandon described and what you mentioned aren’t the same thing at all and he’s right, simply having a conversation and writing at the same time will degrade performance massively.
Tim Brownson´s last [type] ..20 of The Greatest Self Development Posts Ever Written

By: Gina

Gina — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:04:36 +0000

Loved the article. So true. I never realized I was addicted to my phone (text and email) until my child said “mom, you are always on your phone!” Kids notice these things. I have also found that when you respond to an email or text right away, people then expect you toanswer right away.
Good Stuff!

By: Brandon R Allen

Brandon R Allen — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:37:43 +0000

Derick, Dino and Chris,

Thanks for supporting the post and for your comments. I appreciate you.

By: Brandon R Allen

Brandon R Allen — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:36:33 +0000

Cinde,

Thanks for stopping by. I don’t think you realize how traumatic missing the end of one of my shows really was.

By: Cinde Johnson

Cinde Johnson — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 05:29:21 +0000

LOL! The timing of this article is truly perfect! I experience it every day….if I slip back into multitasking, I am less productive than if I would just focus on one thing at a time.

Working form a home office, it can be a bit difficult to turn work off…especially if you enjoy what you do! But wow, do I ever gain big mommy points when I close the lid and go do something with my daughter! It’s all about your actions—and kids get it!

Thanks for the stats and for your witty way of getting us to understand how unproductive multitasking can be, but mostly, thanks for missing the end of CSI to share!

By: Derick Van Ness

Derick Van Ness — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:59:54 +0000

Brandon,

Incredibly valuable stuff! I write a ton of stuff about how to be more productive as a business owner and in life, but all of that is wasted if people are multi-tasking (or as I call it, neither-tasking).

Keep on rockin’ Brother!
Derick Van Ness´s last [type] ..What is Your Trump Card?

By: Brandon R Allen

Brandon R Allen — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:59:32 +0000

Wade,

One of the best comments I have ever received. Nicely done. I got a good chuckle out of that.

Brandon

By: Chris Miles

Chris Miles — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:51:03 +0000

Isn’t it amazing how our most productive days are the ones where we schedule ourselves, and the least productive days are the ones where we leave the calendar more open, check our emails every few minutes, and get fewer projects done?

Having these technologies should increase our productivity & time doing what we love most, being with those we love most, not the other way around. Thanks, Brandon!
Chris Miles´s last [type] ..Frontpage

By: Wade

Wade — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:05:25 +0000

Brandon, Switch tasking just got my coat assaulted with yogurt covered hands by my 18 month old! I should know better than to try to read a blog post while she is trying to get to the last of her yogurt cup with her hands instead of her spoon, right? Who else has had this happen?

Love all the stats supporting decreased productivity as a result of so many instant distractions.

P.S. Remember to pay attention to your little kids instead of blogging

By: Dino

Dino — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:27:25 +0000

Right on. I believe most of just want to believe we are good at multi-tasking but in reality are getting less done in a longer period of time. If I would just sit down and focus on the task at hand, one at a time, I know I would be more productive.
Great points and an even better smack in the face. Challenge accepted!

By: Katie

Katie — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:18:07 +0000

Nice article Brandon! I really enjoyed looking at the other side of multi-tasking. Very insightful!

By: Louche

Louche — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:57:42 +0000

Yes, that is true. But most of us have also never even considered that there is a right way and a wrong way to multi-task. Most people don’t consciously think while typing their e-mail, “I’m going to productively multi-task by typing this e-mail while talking on the phone.” For the typical person, it is a kind of mindless “faster faster faster” attitude. Same thing can be said that there’s a right way and a wrong way to restrict your calorie intake. Most people or a huge portion of people in the U.S. do so the wrong way. That doesn’t reduce the value if seeking out the right way.

By: Brandon R Allen

Brandon R Allen — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:35:29 +0000

I get the right way to multitask argument all the time. You are absolutely right that there are certain activities where doing multiple tasks can work. Working out while listening to a podcast is a great example. The problem is that most of us don’t know where to draw the line. We spend a lot of time trying to do multiple things at the same time that keep us from doing a great job at any singular task. Examples like: typing e-mails while talking on the phone, texting at meetings or while you are having dinner with your family or having a conversation with your cube mate while you are trying to write a report.

By: Louche

Louche — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:29:51 +0000

I think there’s a right way and a wrong way to multi-task. Listening to a podcast while doing your daily stretches or workout or eating breakfast is not necessarily distracting (unless you’re trying to do workout meditation). It saves time. However, writing a paper while watching t.v. is not really a productive form of multi-tasking. Not the best example as I rarely consider t.v. a productive form of anything, but do you see my point? Frankly, walking down the street and talking at the same time could be called multi-tasking.