Top o’ the Mornin’ to Ya!
TLDR: The principle is to do your best. But when we’re multitasking – talking on the phone while working, swiping on your phone while talking to your kids, at dinner on your phone – studies show the quality and speed go down for all tasks.
Recently, we’ve been talking about principles from a book I’ve read a couple times. The principle right now is do your best. Whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability.
The problem with the definition of best is similar to the problem with the definition of truth. So many times I hear about your truth and my truth. “That’s not true for me.” Well, what you believe maybe different than true for you. But, you don’t get ‘your’ truth, and I don’t get ‘my’ truth. God, the creator of everything, is the truth.
I got up, got dressed the other morning as I finished putting on my shirt, grabbed my watch, put it in my mouth, tucking in my shirt, walking and putting on my watch, and noticed how slow I was walking.
That goes to doing our best. Right now, my best is fully sharing with you. Nothing else. Talking on the phone while working on the computer, talking to your kids while swiping on your phone, or sitting at dinner – you paid exclusive pricing to not cook and clean up, to spend time with someone – and you’re swiping on the phone looking at meaningless stuff. Those multitasking tasks are diminished.
The world doesn’t care about the truth. Let me say that again. The world doesn’t care about the truth.
Many people think multitasking, “I can get more done better.” Studies have shown the quality and speed go down for all tasks done in multitasking. Does real data show you can use a phone and drive well? No. That’s why insurance is going up. That’s why laws are being put in place.
There’s been multiple studies about multitasking, because it’s not multitasking. A computer processor is multi-threaded. Our conscious mind has one thread. When we switch, our conscious has to go back to our unconscious, put in the disc, load up that information, then work. Then take out that disk, put in the other disk, load up that information – I’m thinking of those big 5.25″ floppies – and start working. That context switching really is putting in and taking out drives, loading and unloading data from our conscious mind.
We used to have a TV in the laundry room where kids would do laundry. The context switch from folding to the TV – the TV captured and took over. That’s perfect proof multitasking doesn’t work. We are attracted to pleasure. We’re attracted to now happiness instead of eternal joy in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Take a look at what you’re thinking you’re doing your best on, but yet you’re multitasking. By studies and definition, you’re not doing your best. When you find them, own them, identify them, label them, and change.
You be blessed!
