Most of us are doing our best to balance family, work, household responsibilities, and creative pursuits. Long ago, I learned productivity comes from the ability to multitask. Magazine articles gave me ideas on how to do many things simultaneously. I could cook, read email, and balance on one foot at the same time.
In the last few years, some compelling research has been published about the dangers of multitasking. Articles with scary titles emerged: Multitasking is Killing Your Brain, How Multitasking Affects Productivity, and Multitasking Damages Your Brain and Your Career. My brain and my career?
I had to take action. I vowed to concentrate on one pursuit at a time. If I was writing, I'd set a timer and stay off social media. If I was in the kitchen, I'd pay attention to cooking or cleaning and stay off the phone. Sounded like a plan I could implement, but after a week I realized I couldn't complete all my tasks.
Plan 2: Don't do more than two things at once. Okay. That shouldn't hurt my brain too much. I'd pay the bills while I watched tv. That seemed to work, and my brain seemed fine. Surely I could add just one more thing. I'd keep a notebook beside me on the couch and jot down plot points for my upcoming romance novella. Three things. I could do three things without damaging my brain.
I carried my supplies to the couch: notebook, stacks of bills, pen, and my checkbook. I turned on the tv, took notes when inspired, and wrote checks.
Two weeks later, I received a letter from the Department of Water. I scanned the official looking
letter claiming they had to send my check back because it was not filled out
correctly. Darn, I thought, did I forget to sign it?
I looked at the signature line of the returned check. My
name was there. I glanced at the rest of
the check—all the sections were filled in.
What was the problem?
Okay, fine. I’d need to actually read the letter to find out
what the problem was. It couldn’t be lack of funds, could it? It shouldn’t be. I’d left a nice buffer in the account for
incidental costs that might present themselves.
I poured another cup of coffee and read the letter thoroughly. The problem was in the "Pay to the order of" line.
Yup. Thinking about three things at once. I can only hope the office staff at the Department of Water got a good laugh out of my error and that my brain wasn't damaged too much.
