Are You Good At Multi-tasking?

I find it near impossible to work on just one thing at a time. I always used to brag about how I was never bored because I always had so many things I was interested in or working on. I can't really say that's true anymore, I get bored, but I still usually have quite a few projects.

This upcoming week I have 3 jobs I'm doing and I'm thinking about picking up another quick, low-stress gig. I am also considering having company and selling some stuff on craigslist and making some music this week.

And if I really got bored or if I was just being as consistent as I'd like I'd workshop some of my stuff too and work on booking some events for the next year.

Sometimes I find there is a seriously fine line on too much or not enough for me. I find that I work too much sometimes and then I'm out for like a month and don't pick up any new work. Recently I had 2 weeks where I did nothing but think about story ideas. You could kinda say that was working though because when I finally got my ass up, I put all that shit to paper and I did a really good job and haven't stopped yet.

So how do you organize your priorities, multi-task between a work life, social life and hobbies or other interests? Do you feel you're good at doing many things at once or are you better at focusing on one or a couple things at once?

I find that my social life suffers when I work a lot, but it also suffers when I take 2 week breaks from life, to basically fantasize. I'm not good at keeping in touch with people and sometimes when I have a lot going on I can't bother to answer my phone, return emails or see anyone.

 

No. I have ADD.

 

I have wondered for a couple years if I have it as well. It seems like it was never an issue until the last couple years...

 

The Only Multi-Tasking I'm Good At Is Talking On

The Phone Whilst Sitting On The Crapper....



Cheers Glen.

 

It depends. In general, no. But I can work on 5+ cars at a time. I think everyone can find their flow it's just a matter of finding and combining interest with talent.

 

And how long does that take? Do you take the easy way out and just stick with a few things and first and then add a little by little or do you just accept the fact that maybe there will be huge ups and downs in activity?

I don't want to be a workaholic but I kinda feel that it works well for me...I'm thinking this week of trying to have a social life (I mean irl) as well as working and then another part of me is like, well finish this work then try to take the weekend and a day next week for socializing.

 

Was that question posed to me?

Edit: I just realized it had to be posed to me. I'm not sure what you mean by the first part. But I go in and just hammer shit out, the more work there is to get done the more of an insane work load I take on. And I start skipping things like lunch. I never take the easy way out, I have a lot of pride wrapped up in my work and my reputation is dependent on quality. If I have to work late or on the weekends I do.

Definitely a workaholic. My social life is suffering but I don't really care. I have a string of failed relationships (3 of them failed because I work so much), no wife, no kids and a drive to bankroll and just be at the top of my game. I'm over the party phase and into the 'make money and invest' phase. Also starting a business so shit is going to get even more crazy.

In reality all I want to do anymore is work on cars, weld, get tattoos, listen to music, and fuck around with guns and electronics. It's not even a conflict for me. I cash in my vacation days. Took Friday off and felt worthless. As far as socializing I go out sometimes and I think people should, that's healthy. But when I'm out socializing all I'm doing is thinking about work anyway. I'd rather be in the shop or in my garage, I'm building my life around that. Very good at multitasking those aspects.

But don't ask me to do something like cook and answer emails or clean at the same time. Things will get seriously fucked up haha.

 

Maybe...idk. I think you said everyone can find their flow, so I guess that's what I was responding to. How long does it take to find your flow, how do you know you're on your flow or not flowing, etc.

Then again I think you're talking about work and I'm talking about a work/social life balance.

 

I'm always multi-tasking. I have my hands in a million different things at all times. My mind is constantly racing trying to keep up. Sometimes I'm good at it and other times its just a mess.

 

i think i'm a pretty good multi-tasker. although on the other hand, i tend to put very little effort into having an actual social life too. i dunno, i guess i'm probably alright at either task.

 

Yeah, I just re-read your original post.

I was reading it with the tv on the first time, so that should answer that question..

My work/social life balance is screwed. There is no balance there. But I'm making my work my social life if that makes sense.

But the way I look at it, that's more than fine. I feel that there are times in life for balance and times for intensity. And times for figuring it all out. I just try to enjoy it all the best I can these days.

 

I'm good at multi tasking because I would never get anything done otherwise. I do prefer to really focus on one thing at a time though. When something really interests me I can get into the zone and hyperfocus on it.

I'm horrible at balancing a social life with everything else but it doesn't really bother me. At this point I've amassed a nice collection of friends who are more like family. I know they won't be mad at me if they don't hear from me for 3 months, and vice versa. We'll always pick up where we left off.

I feel like when I'm at work I always have to be "on" so when I come home I just like to hang with my family and disappear into my introverted side. When I was younger I wanted to hang out with friends every day, now I can barely manage to work up the energy to see them every couple of months.

 

Word. Intensity is definitely the word. I appreciate when I feel really intense about something, even if it's 3 different projects at once, there's a zone that I get in and I like that.

Getting on the internet at the end of the day or even in between breaks doesn't really distract me from that, but I guess I feel protective of my space and I'm not sure I want to bring in someone else's energy...to diffuse things. I like being in my zone.

So I recently blew someone off and I feel kinda bad about it. Like I did the Thanksgiving thing and I was even considering not doing that and working instead, but I did that and now I'm on the verge of blowing someone else off and I'm just kinda trying to make myself expand socially, but then I'm not sure.

I guess there's this feeling that if something goes bad then where will I be in relation to my projects. I might have a hard time wanting to do them or doing them with the same level of interest that I have now...then also if things go really well, maybe I will be too distracted to do my projects well afterwards too.

I've been reading things about writers who close themselves off for periods of time and I am definitely like that. Then I also get to that place where I feel really social and I text everyone I know or call people who are local and I want to be social when I want to be and that feels maybe unfair/selfish.

 

I can relate exactly to what you are saying. I'm a writer myself, not professionally but I'm weird like a writer. Best thing I can say is embrace your quirks and use them to your advantage, you can apply that to so many things.

And I hear you on blowing people off. I was being hard on myself for awhile after my last relationship.. like I'm lonely why am I blowing her off? Well, I came to realize that deep down even if I do want that companionship I feel like it will just be a distraction from my path in life.

I might be a complete jaded cynic, but it's how I feel. I have no idea how I'll get into another relationship. Maybe a friend that I realize is my soulmate, who knows. But dating seems like a waste of time right now. I even blew off my fuck buddy.

 

I don't think that's cynical, deviate. Unless I am also cynical and I don't consider myself to be. I think, I am trying to embrace this side of me because I have tried to distract myself from my career at times and for the first time in a few years I feel really determined and sure about where I want to go with it.

I mean this is 10+ years in the making and yeah it has caused some issues in my life with other people. But I am picking up where I left off years ago and I am seeing really good results so I don't want to throw it away again like I did due to other people's beliefs and expectations of me.

I also feel strange about the dating thing, but it's not just dating, it's also family and friends. There is a part of me that feels like I really need to take some time to date, casually. I don't know if that's really true, I tried it for a few months when I first ended a long term relationship a couple years ago and I found it boring and annoying...I prefer to concentrate on a few guys at a time (when I'm single) but then that makes for a lot of distraction. So I have recently just dropped even that tradition of mine.

I like what deviate said making your work your social life. I don't know exactly what you(deviate) mean by that, but for me, that is a huge motivator. I am constantly talking to writer friends online and workshopping, participating in communities, following their careers, supporting them and doing wordsprints and I feel really satisfied with these professional relationships.

I'm still slightly afraid that if I ignore my social life I'm going to eventually make a bad decision like bring someone into my life who shouldn't be there. At the same time, I feel I may have learned my lesson by recently dropping people like that that I already made the mistake of allowing to stay a little longer than I should have.

I feel maybe this balance thing is more paranoia on my part. Reading about what is a normal social life vs. not wanting to put the effort in, but wanting to socialize sometimes and also not wanting to base my social life on the easier way of getting it, which is through someone who is sexually attracted to you, which is why I've decided to go the route of finding people to make music with, but there's attraction still. Anyway, I'm just trying to figure this out...what my approach will be.

 

No one is good at multi-tasking. In fact..

...according to a recent study, employees who pride themselves on being above average for multitasking capabilities are actually the very worst to carry out their duties efficiently.

 

Yeah gongshaman...I guess that is shown here as well. Something suffers...you can't have it all.

I know that writing is something I'm very good at, I write fast and I can get a lot done and do it really well...but there are times when I don't finish a project when I should. Also I don't always find the time or motivation to work on my other career unless I have something scheduled already, which means I probably already focused on that for a week or so while I wasn't writing and again there is social life and my health. So yeah, I can't do it all at the same time, but I have a hard time focusing on just one thing at the same time.

All that said...cellphone talking and driving are two things I would NEVER do at the same time. Actually I don't really like to do anything when I'm talking on the phone except maybe taking a bath, cooking, taking a walk or lying in bed.

And I burn food often. lol.

 

Also I guess this kinda brings up the question what is multi-tasking...maybe I used the wrong word.

When I'm writing, I'm working on one project at a time, not all 3 or 4 or however many I have scheduled for that day or week. What I mean is just having several different projects at once, as well as trying to manage a social life and taking care of my own health.

 

No

 

I am a master at multita.... wait I have to pick up the phone.