"I'm a good multitasker."
No, you're not. Science says multitasking is a myth. It's just rapid task-switching that lowers your IQ.
I decided to prove science right (or wrong) by doing EVERYTHING at once for 24 hours.
I would not do one thing at a time. I had to have at least 3 active "threads" at all times.
> THE SETUP
> 10:00 AM: THE ILLUSION OF EFFICIENCY
For the first hour, I felt like a God. I was consuming information at 300% efficiency. I was cleaning my room while learning about Rome. "Why don't I do this always?" I approached hubris.
> 12:00 PM: THE CRASH
Attempted to put coffee mug in laundry basket. Attempted to drink from sock. Forgot what podcast I was listening to. Rewind 10 mins. Still don't understand.
My brain started to lag. I couldn't finish a sentence. I would start an email, then switch to a text, then switch to the video. I ended up with 3 half-finished tasks and a headache that felt like a spike in my frontal lobe.
> THE COOKING DISASTER
Task: Cook Pasta.
Side Tasks: On a call with Mom, reply to Slack, Watch YouTube.
Result:
1. I boiled the water.
2. I forgot to put the pasta in.
3. I drained the hot water into the sink.
4. I ate raw pasta? No, I ordered pizza.
My Mom asked me a question and I answered with a fact about the Roman Empire.
She hung up.
> CONCLUSION
Multitasking is not efficiency. It is anxiety masquerading as productivity.
I did 10 things today. I did all of them poorly.
I didn't enjoy the movie. I didn't learn from the podcast. My laundry is folded wrong.
Monotasking is the only way. Do one thing. Do it well. Then stop.