Savanna Meadows

            There are people in this world who claim that they are the best at multitasking. This is a

common misconception of productivity. Multitasking doesn’t save time. It wastes time. Our

brains weren’t built to multitask. Our brains are programmed to concentrate on one thing at a

time. If we try to focus on more than one activity, it slows us down. This can actually be harmful to us. Instead of trying to multitask, we should try to prioritize our time wisely so we have time to complete each individual task. This is why it’s important to manage our time efficiently, so we don’t feel the need to juggle so many things at once. Thus, we can reach our ultimate goals and be productive.

            According to Sarah Spark’s article Studies on “Multitasking Highlight Value of Self-

Control,” the brain cannot be in two places at once. This comes down to the brain’s reaction

time. People cannot process two tasks at one time. It takes longer to juggle tasks back and forth

than it would to do one task at a time. Multitasking has also been known to increase stress

hormones and tires out our brains. When we attempt to do more than one activity at once, there’s

a brief delay in the decision making part of our brain. It delays one task for the other and even

though it is only a millisecond long. It takes our brains longer to react. Eventually, most of the

time the tasks take much longer to complete or they aren’t completed at all (Sparks.)

             Despite all the research and statistics, for a very long time I believed multitasking was possible. I have attempted multitasking on many occasions. Most occasions involved school assignments. I thought I was a master at multitasking and that it was no big deal. When I was in high school, I was working on an assignment for my business class. I was sitting with a group of friends. A lot of them were checking videos online about health. My friend leaned over to me and showed me a five-minute long video on how to maintain a healthy body about a water diet. I thought those five minutes I had spent watching the video were productive. That wasn’t the case. When I switched tasks like that, I didn’t only waste five minutes. I wasted more time bringing my focus back to my assignment and picking up where I left off. It felt productive at the time because it was a beneficial video, but I still wasted five minutes of my time. Unfortunately, it took me longer to finish my assignments than I originally planned. 

            A good way to manage time efficiently is to know the differences between important and

urgent activities. Important activities have an outcome that leads us to achieving our goals.

Urgent activities require immediate attention. These are what we often focus on. They demand

attention because the consequences of not dealing with them are immediate. Eisenhower’s

Urgent/Important Principle helps us think and manage our priorities. This helps determine which

activities are important and which are distractions. To use this tool, we have to make a list of all

the activities we feel we have to do. Including anything that may take up our time, however

unimportant. Next we would put into each activity one of four categories. The first one being the

important and urgent activities. The second one is categorized into important, but not urgent. The

third category is not important, but is urgent. Then lastly, the fourth one is not important and not

urgent. Each scheduled task and activity should be based on importance and urgency.

           Time management can still be tricky even knowing which tasks are more important than

others. Stephen Covey’s Time Management matrix can help us get more time prioritized with

visualization. Covey’s matrix is separated into the four quadrants. It’s based off of the

Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle. This tool helps us prioritize better. It also helps us

decide if we need to address a task immediately or if we can postpone it. This is a way that can

help us get a better understanding how to prioritize our time more efficiently. When I applied my

own personal tasks to the matrix, I noticed most of them were in Quadrant one, Quadrant three,

and Quadrant four. Realizing that most of my time has been lingering in Quadrant four, it has

given me a realization that I need management and use my time better. Using the Eisenhower’s

tool, I have been trying to cut back and avoid the unimportant activities. I have been trying to

make sure everything in Quadrant two is done first so it doesn’t become a Quadrant one task.

Avoiding Quadrant four tasks, also known as time wasters, can help us all become successful

(Mueller.)

            In conclusion, multitaskers may feel good about themselves, but they are way less

productive than they should be. The best way to be more productive is to get rid of all

distractions and manage your time wisely. When doing something of value, I have get rid of

anything that will shift my focus away from it. I have to try to focus on the most important tasks

first, but only once at a time. For example, if I’m doing an assignment for school, give I have to

give myself a good amount of time to focus on that one activity. As I get better at eliminating

distractions and focusing better on one thing at a time, I will gradually see that the quality of my

work is getting better than before. As Marilyn vos Savant said, “Multitasking arises out of

distraction itself.”

                                                            Works Cited

Mueller, Stephen. "Stephen Covey's Time Management Matrix Explained." Planet of Success. 9 Oct. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

Mind Tools Editorial Team. Eisenhower. "Eisenhower's Urgent/Important Principle: Using Time Effectively, Not Just Efficiently." Eisenhower's Urgent/Important Principle. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

"Multitasking!" Marilyn Vos Savant. Junket Design Co. Web. 23 Mar. 2016. <http://marilynvossavant.com/multitasking/>.

Sparks, Sarah D. "Studies on Multitasking Highlight Value of Self-Control." Education Week. 15 May 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/05/16/31multitasking_ep.h31.html?tkn=PTWFGpBwR5o7bKrnCvQZswL8Vr+lUoJB+62c>.