Multitasking and Time Management
Multitasking and time management go hand in hand with prioritizing and performing well in life. The truth behind multitasking and how to manage your time so it seems like you can multitask. Several psychological studies collected by Education Week writer Sarah Sparks explain the value of self-control and how it could affect success. Multitasking is actually just a form of constant attention shifting. The human brain isn’t really capable of thinking in two places at once. Steve Mueller explains Covey’s time management matrix and how it’s used. The time management matrix can help assess and prioritize time.
Sparks has collected different studies on multitasking that highlight the value of self-control. Paraphrasing Larry D. Rosen, kids from ages thirteen to eighteen use as many as six media devices simultaneously during after school hours (Sparks). Multitasking is the process of doing more than one task simultaneously. People who multitask are only shifting attention between tasks, not actually doing them simultaneously. People who do multiple tasks at once are less productive then people who do them one at a time. The researchers cited in the article say it’s not possible to multitask in the same terms as a computer. Having to make a choice while multi-tasking commonly causes a delay, also called a bottleneck. In one of the studies, people who answered texts during a presentation were less prepared to be tested on it. A reader has to stop and read the message then go back to reading what they were before. The studies found people with self-control are more likely to succeed than those without it. The ability to multitask (shift focus) is dependent on the individual. People shouldn’t be taught to multitask for education. Multitasking is an ability people will learn naturally and how good they are will depend on them.
Shifting attention can be very difficult, but it was necessary to blow glass by myself. When blowing glass one of the most important things I do is always keep turning the rod. Turning the rod keeps the piece pointing off the end from falling off center. At times I have to hold more than one rod and do quite a few other things to make or break a piece. The whole time I perform each task I constantly have to think of the tasks ahead and the best way to perform them. Rapidly shifting attention is as close as people come to multitasking.
Time management matrix is what Stephen Covey called his time management strategy. “The idea of using four quadrants to determine the priority of a task was introduced by American keynote speaker Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”(Mueller). Prioritizing is important it allows understanding to dedicate the proper amount of time and attention into achieving goal. It involves using a simple two-by-two matrix to assess the importance and time-sensitivity of a task. The four quadrants represent the urgency or importance of a task. Quadrant one is used for important tasks that are time sensitive. Quadrant two is used to assess long term strategies for important tasks that aren’t time sensitive. Quadrant three represents time sensitive issues of little importance, like interruptions. Quadrant four is for tasks that aren’t important or time sensitive. The importance of a quadrant is represented by how relevant it is to helping accomplish one’s goals. The urgency of a task means that it will have consequences if not completed in a given time limit. The time matrix can also be used for making a weekly assessment, using matrices to record daily work activities and how much time they take. The collected data over a regular work week shows how much time is used making it simpler to find ways to be more efficient (Mueller).
The majority of my time is spent in the fourth quadrant of Stephen Covey’s time matrix. To help change this cycle of waste, I’m going to implement strategies from Mindtools. I can use one of the many articles on goal setting they have to set a goal for my second quadrant. I’ll need a goal otherwise; all of the quadrants will have no relevance. With a goal in mind, I can organize the points I think will help achieve it to the most accurate quadrants. With my objectives sorted, I can now find out the best way to prioritize them with Stephen Covey’s matrix. After prioritizing, this leaves me a list I can use for scheduling. Scheduling allows one to divide time best as possible to achieve results. These are the strategies I can use with Stephen Covey’s time matrix to manage time well and get started on living a life in quadrant two.
Multitasking and time management are two very important objectives. Multitasking is another word meaning to shift attention. Being able to focus and change one’s attention well is a useful ability in the work force. Time management is a lot simpler when using Stephen Covey’s time matrix. A time management matrix can help prioritize and visualize one’s daily routine and time usage. The truth is often very simple and at times misleading. Proper self-control and time management could be the difference between success and failure for any individual.
Works Cited
Mueller, Steve. "Stephen Covey's Time Management Matrix Explained." Planet of Success.
Web. 14 Mar. 2016.
<planetofsuccess.com/blog/2015/stephen-coveys-time-management-matrix-explained>.
Sparks, Sarah D. "Studies on Multitasking Highlight Value of Self-control." Education Week. 15
May 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/05/16/31multitasking_ep.h31.html?tkn=PTWFGpBwR5o7bKrnCvQZswL8Vr+lUoJB+62c&cmp=clp-edweek>.
"Time Management." Mindtools. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
<https://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_HTE.htm>.