Multitasking – The Final Word

Posted on by Live & Learn

This Letter to the Editor was in response to Oliver Burkeman’s essay titled: “Today’s Superpower Is Doing One Thing at a Time” (The New York Times · July 29, 2023).

64 thoughts on “Multitasking – The Final Word”

  1. As a privileged man I am against multitasking. Multitasking usually means that no task is done as best as possible. In most cases multitasking can be avoided and to fulfil one task after the other is often faster and the result is much better.
    By the way Dina, Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma agree.
    Wishing you a happy day
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      1. I’m disappointed in myself for not saying it.
        But I stand by why I didn’t.

        I appreciate you sharing the other side to this story.

          3. You’re just stepping down so you and I may be of similar height…(assuming that you’re in 6 inch heels 🥴)…I think we all look up to you – really…

  5. In our household, we are at a point where, if I say: I can’t do multiple things at the same time!, HH counters: but I thought women CAN do multitasking!
    You can’t win at all times. I now blame age – I realise I can’t always do it all and do it well. But then again: HH is the ultimate proof of doing only one thing at any time. NOTHING else exists when he’s occupied with a task. So, if he’s sleeping, he sleeps. Nothing else. I could light a fire at his feet, and he would just pull up his feet a bit higher…. He has his thinking cap on, and I play the clown signalling that the meal is on the table, I might as well be transparent or non-existent! Which makes the very real need for multitasking look like a really bad idea.

        1. Paul, this is the sole reason why I don’t ‘do’ the mile-long exchanges any longer. I LOVE discussions, and I cd debate through the whole night, but it would have to be a face-to-face (s) discussion. Preferably with something to drink on the table too… anyway, that’s how it works over here!

  6. Just for fun, “the scientist in me“ is telling me to make the following comment (which I will probably regret 😉):

    If one wants to “drill down“ and discuss/debate this topic in FAR greater detail (think scientific), one must first define the EXACT meaning of the word: “Task”.

    I am now making the following promise to myself: “Even though this comment may trigger further discussion, I absolutely will NOT write anything further on this topic!”.

    (Paul vanishes in a puff of white smoke.)

          7. (Paul reappears in a puff of magenta smoke…) I’m not taking sides! All I suggested was a scientific definition for the word “task”. The Flying Lizard Loves Everyone! (* Sniff * … a single tear rolls down The Lizard’s cheek…)

          11. Paul, Dad has me reading your comments now. He said something about you keep digging yourself a deeper hole. Not sure what that means.

          12. Paul, Dad’s irritated and told me to read your comments since you are now a member of the Sawsan Gypsy Club. He said something about it being a shame and Man Power totally out the door.

          13. Hi Wally. Please tell Dad that he is the boss (after all this is his blog) and that I will try to fill in “the hole“. Also, please ask him to send me the latest “Man Power Manual” because my copy must be out of date.

          18. Hi Wally, the orange guy in my avatar is actually a really cool puppet. His name is Doug. Back in 2012 he worked for the marketing department at Ford motor company. In 2012 Ford came out with a new version of the Ford Focus car, and Doug (along with his human partner, John) did an online marketing campaign to announce the new car. He did a really good job. I actually got to chat with him a couple of times on Twitter back then while he was working.

            Doug is one of my best friends. He went “off the grid“ after the marketing campaign was over. That’s why my avatar shows him as “missing“. He lives in secret now, and I (The Lizard/Paul) am one of a small group who keeps in touch with him. Doug has super powers!

            There are lots of cool stories about Doug that maybe I can share someday, but I fear that I have already upset dad by writing this long post.

            If you want to learn more about Doug, you can Google “Doug Ford Spokes Puppet”

            Bye for now, Wally 🙂

            PS: there is a team of Air Force mechanics in Arizona getting the F35s ready for your special day 🙂

          20. Hey Wally…
            I wanted to introduce you to Doug, The Ford Spokespuppet and Superhero.

            The best thing to do is to learn about Doug “in small doses”, because he is a genius and there is a lot to take in.

            So here’s the first video I will share with you. This video is posted on the Vimeo website, but I don’t think you need a Vimeo account to watch it.

            If the link doesn’t show up here properly, then just cut and paste the link into your web browser.

            OK, let’s give this a shot. Enjoy!

          21. Wally… Do me a favor and share this comment with dad please… Thanks!

            I know I’m blacklisted right now, but it’s interesting to note that I can post a link to a Vimeo video here, even though I cannot post links to YouTube videos. Must be YouTube uses some kind of “protection“.

            I did a little research on YouTube interfacing with WordPress (very little). What I learned is that you can post YouTube videos if you add a “plug-in“ to your WordPress app. My instinct is… Don’t do this… I have never used plug-ins, but if it requires extra code to make it work (probably written by someone outside of the WordPress world)… I would turn around and run! Adding a plug-in would just invite new WordPress software nightmares!

            – Paul/Liz (hoping to be taken off your blacklist someday!)

          22. Hi Paul. I couldn’t understand all this plug in stuff and Dad wouldn’t help me with anything involving anyone on Blacklist. I’m going to ask Mom to help.

          23. WALLY!!!
            HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!”

            Your neighbors wouldn’t let me set up a jet flyby over your house (too noisy). Bummer.

            So I did the next best thing I could think of. I called in a favor with a friend I have in the U.S. Navy! He sent the US Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team up over their home base in Pensacola Florida… they did a flyover at Pensacola Beach in your honor to celebrate your birthday! And they took this awesome video of it.

            So here you go!
            This video is especially for you!!
            HAVE A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY! -Paul

  7. On a totally unrelated topic, I would like to share the following quote, which I hope will give some of you a chuckle for the day:

    “I apologize for interrupting myself, while I am talking.” “Apology accepted.“

  9. Hmm.. 2 marriages/5000 in-laws, traveling for birthdays & holidays, packing for camping, 3 school dropoffs by car; child #3 when the first 2 were 12 & 14, child #4 3 yrs later; traveling again and all through away-games, then sandwich generation through 3 pt jobs.. I blew out my multitasker just before the gall bladder! It didn’t hurt as much!

  11. I noticed a while back that if a leisurely task takes more that 5 minutes to do, I’m just not that into it. I blame it on the internet and computers where you get instant gratification.
    Now work tasks are different. In the 25 years of being a chef, multitasking was a way of life. All day long, it was a dance, and timing became your second nature. You move from oven to stock pot to steamer, always checking, always moving. You might have a dozen things going, all at one time, and you have to hustle. What I learned from that is “Work can be arranged to create time otherwise not thought available”
    Now I work an office job. Almost the exact opposite is true. The busier I get, the more single minded I become. I have to deliberately slow down. Take a task and finish it if you can, or take it to the point you can go no further, then its on to the next thing.
    But the same holds true…”Work can be arranged to create time otherwise not thought available”
    I think the original author may have been talking more about leisure tasks than work tasks. And I find it disturbing that nothing outside of work related tasks seem to hold much interest to me these days. In that I identify with Burkeman.

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