Many times, we pride ourselves on our amazing ability to multitask. We think it’s a superpower that allows us to perform amazing feats. But it’s an illusion. Multitasking is not possible. (Yes, we can walk and chew gum at the same time, but that’s not what we are talking about here.) We can’t perform two cognitive tasks at the same time. Can you count to one hundred and recite the alphabet at the same time? No. Do we want to see people driving and texting at the same time? Hell no!
What we are actually doing is context shifting. This means we must ramp down from what we are doing so we can ramp up to do something else, then ramp back down from that, and so on. We are context shifting so fast and so often, we are eroding our ability to actually focus. Stop multitasking like it’s your superpower and start focusing on what’s in front of you and needs to be completed.