Are you there? No, really?

Ok, I want to ask you something. Minimize the feedreader, the e-mail client and tweetdeck. Done?

Now maximize this window.

Thank you.

Ok, just joking, but, did you notice how much we “multi-task”? We are at so many place at one time that, well. we are nowhere actually. We read a blogpost while simultaneously respond to tweets while chatting in Skype. Whatever we do, we either are doing something else at the same time, or already thinking about the next task. So, we are not there. And it’s not good.

Disclosure: Yes, I am absolutely guilty of riding more than one horse at the same time. That’s why I started to write this post.

Slow down. Take a deep breath.

Mihály Csíkszentmihályi has written a wonderful book titled Flow. Tom DeMarco in Peopleware also wrote about the effect. When you gather your mind, your attention and do one and only one thing, getting into the Flow, concentrated, effective and enjoying it.

You know, the thing that happens in the Magical Hours of After 5PM, when the office is empty, everyone went home and you actually can do some work. No phones ringing, no boss running in and dragging you away for a meeting, no co-workers jumping on you: “Hi! Can I disturb you for 5 minutes?” which is a pointless question, as you are already disturbed, dragged out of the flow, and it will take about 15-20 minutes to get back into it – if it happens 4 times a day you lost 1 hour of effective work time.

But we all know this, I don’t want to talk about that.

However, did you notice that you actually bring it into your out-of-office life too? Always doing 3 or 4 things, not really being anywhere. Joanna Young wrote about The Art of Paying Attention. You can say it’s not about “don’t multitask it’s about watching flowers”, but do you think if she tried to watch the flowers AND watch the bees AND tweeting about the flower AND Qik it at the same time she would have enjoyed it and really notice all the things about the flower?

I know that “faster, higher, more” is the way we ought to live, but do yourself, and those around you, a favour. When you don’t have to multitask, then don’t do it.
Pay attention to the post you read, the people you are talking to and do only one thing at a time.
I am well aware that being able to multitask is a kind of achievement and it is regarded as the most desirable skill in the whole world, but frankly, if you think about it it simply means you don’t think that much of the tasks you have to do. They are so simple, menial and irrelevant that you can do them with just a small part of your attention.

And before you go to the next site, post, tweet, watch this video – Mihály Csíkszentmihályi talking about the Flow.