Is Multitasking Good For You?

People multitask everywhere these days, thinking they are being productive - Blackberrying away while walking down the street, texting while driving, talking on the phone while answering email. Seems like everyone's doing it. The only question: is it part of the solution or part of the problem? When Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA) complained that the President was trying to do too much, President Obama replied that a president must be able to do more than one thing at a time. Perhaps there's a difference in what President Obama is facing and what the rest of us find on our plates every day. Then again, maybe it's not so different after all. We all have our challenges - they just seem to vary in terms of scope and complexity. We need to distinguish between multiple goals and multitasking. You and I may have multiple goals: perform well at work (or find a job), manage the kids' education, look after our health, maintain good relationships with our spouse, etc. The President has all of these on his radar screen as well, both personally and Presidentially. His version of doing well on the job also means finding a few million new jobs; while focusing on his kids' education, he also needs to do something about the plummeting quality of our educational system. You get the idea. Multiple goals are not the problem; multiple goals and multiple areas of focus can be managed. However, creating successful outcomes in each of these multiple areas requires a kind of focus that will not be found in multitasking. Continue reading on The Huffington Post