The Illusion of Multitasking

I used to get laughs when I’d say I don’t multitask, I inter-task.

Whenever I hear people say they’re multitasking, invariably what they’re actually doing is working briefly on one task, pausing that work, and then hopping onto another task. The so-called “multitasking” is actually a series of hops back and forth between two or more tasks. They feel productive doing that.

In some cases it makes sense, too; perhaps one of the tasks you’re working on has a blocker that temporarily prevents continuation. This is seldom the scenario people are describing, though. It tends to be just run-of-the-mill task-hopping, with no good reason for doing so other than to feel productive. The problem is they conflate multitasking we having multiple things in progress. They convince themselves that this allows them to get more done in less time. I’d argue that this isn’t the case.

There are costs associated with having multiple tasks in progress. Each takes up a piece of your attention, even when you’re not actively working on it. Then there’s the context switching, which requires a brief reset each time you hop back to another task. “Where was I?” On top of that, there’s always the risk that something will slip through the cracks, that’ll you’ll drop one of those balls you’re juggling, whether that’s completing the task at a lower quality, or failing to complete it at all.

I’ve come across no one who truly multitasks, only people who engage in the illusion of multitasking. Over the years, and broadly speaking, I’ve found I produce better work in less time if I focus my attention on one thing until it’s done.

Multitasking is overrated.