Task-Setting For Writers, Part II: Multi-Tasking
Welcome to part two of task-setting for writers. This will be a weekly feature for the next several weeks.
If you're like me, you want to accomplish more things than reasonable during the day: blogs to read, TV watch, peeps to catch up with, that book you want to finish reading, not to mention the gym. This is on top of eight hours at what you consider your day job, whether it's school or work. Overwhelmed with how much you have to do, you opt to do none of it.
Why couldn't there be four more hours in the day?
No worries, you can trick yourself into additional hours by multi-tasking.
Part Two: Multi-Task
Some people will argue that no one can truly multi-task, that our brains aren't structured that way. While I know for a fact I can't tap my head and rub my belly simultaneously, I can walk and chew gum. It's a fine line, but it's still multi-tasking.
Most of us do this naturally. Have you ever read on the treadmill? Talked to your mom while grocery shopping? If you answered yes, that's multi-tasking. The trick to do this effectively is to tackle to semi-easy things at once. You can catch up on your blog reading while watching your favorite show*.
Your turn: Go ahead and write up your task list for the day. Then, using what you learned last week, determine what your A, B, and C priorities are. Once you've done that, pull back and see what you can double-up.
* Can you tell what I'm doing right now?
________
Last.fm hit of the day: Universal by Anathema
If you're like me, you want to accomplish more things than reasonable during the day: blogs to read, TV watch, peeps to catch up with, that book you want to finish reading, not to mention the gym. This is on top of eight hours at what you consider your day job, whether it's school or work. Overwhelmed with how much you have to do, you opt to do none of it.
Why couldn't there be four more hours in the day?
No worries, you can trick yourself into additional hours by multi-tasking.
Part Two: Multi-Task
Some people will argue that no one can truly multi-task, that our brains aren't structured that way. While I know for a fact I can't tap my head and rub my belly simultaneously, I can walk and chew gum. It's a fine line, but it's still multi-tasking.
Most of us do this naturally. Have you ever read on the treadmill? Talked to your mom while grocery shopping? If you answered yes, that's multi-tasking. The trick to do this effectively is to tackle to semi-easy things at once. You can catch up on your blog reading while watching your favorite show*.
Your turn: Go ahead and write up your task list for the day. Then, using what you learned last week, determine what your A, B, and C priorities are. Once you've done that, pull back and see what you can double-up.
* Can you tell what I'm doing right now?
________
Last.fm hit of the day: Universal by Anathema