Multi-Taxi

I just spent the last two and a half days in a Hilton Grand Vacations Club (HGVC) timeshare unit right on Ocean Blvd in Miami Beach. My goal was to pull myself away from the distractions of life and focus on writing some articles and working on “bigger picture” projects. Why Miami Beach? I had timeshare points to use and thought it would be a good place to balance “sequestering” myself with easy-access amenities.

It was a great place to achieve my goal. The beach was right across the street for when I wanted to get some fresh air, stretch my legs and re-connect to nature. There were tons of restaurants and convenience stores around to meet my every culinary need. I could even order room service, allowing food to come to me so I could stay focused on my work. The timeshare unit was fabulous – spacious enough to allow thinking without feeling cramped, nice kitchenette with full refrigerator/freezer, microwave and blender. The building had a roof-top terrace with a Jacuzzi, so again I could escape and “change my scenery” quite easily to refresh.

So, did I achieve my goals? Not a chance. I am my worst enemy. I was thrilled to have high-speed internet access; then, I spent ridiculous amounts of time responding to emails, checking Facebook, and looking things up online. While I did accomplish some important work, my productivity was quite low due to my multi-tasking.

This morning I was contemplating this challenge and my need for more self-discipline while I was riding to the airport in a taxi. I couldn’t help but notice the epidemic (multi-tasking) is everywhere. In the short 20-minute ride to the airport, my drive was constantly either talking on his cell phone or on the cab’s radio system. For the brief moments he wasn’t talking, he was searching for phone numbers (or who knows what) on his cell phone. I couldn’t see the details, but I could see the scrolling. Then, of course, there were the times that he was taking notes in a small notebook – propped on the steering wheel, while he was talking on either the phone or the radio. All while driving up to about 65 mph or so.

I didn’t feel safe in the back seat, but I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t help but think how pervasive and second nature multi-tasking and electronic obsession has become in today’s society. Brain research and short, practical exercises prove that multi-tasking, while possibly improving “efficiency,” seriously decreases accuracy and effectiveness. Our brains are not wired to multi-task. If we are doing simple tasks, we can manage it. It cripples us when doing more complex tasks however. Hm. Driving a taxi and writing leadership and workplace learning and performance articles? I’m thinking those are complex tasks.

How do you keep from giving in to the obsession of multi-tasking? What tricks can you share? I’m looking forward to us all increasing our Personal Excellence and Organizational Performance by managing our digital world instead of it managing us!