Do you consider yourself a GOOD or BAD multitasker?
By minx267
@minx267 (15527)
Hartford, Connecticut
August 4, 2011 4:10am CST
I for one think I am a pretty good multi-tasker.. at least on the computer.
I was sitting here just realizing how well I was doing tonight.
I am MyLotting... I am Facebooking and I am Zazzling as well as checking my email and all this while I am at work.. and answering the phones, dispatching calls and Drinking tea and listening to the radio..
I feel like I am accomplishing a bit tonight.
I know some people say of others. "they can't think and chew gum at the same time!"
Are you one of those people?
I don't want to mislead anyone so I will say that in other areas I am easily distracted.. For instance.. If I am heavily thinking or planning something in my head while driving my car.. I will often drive right by the street I needed to take or miss the exit I was supposed to get off of.. I HATE when I do that.
I OFTEN and I can not emphasize that enough will walk out of one room to do something in the other room and forget what it was 2 seconds later when I get there..
BUT When I am focused on the computer I think I can get a lot done.. all at once.
How about you? Good multi-tasker or bad?
10 people like this
38 responses
@TexanTornado (5573)
• United States
14 Aug 15
I am a pretty good multitasker, for I am always multitasking. It's basically a habit of mine. It might not be a good one, but I just can't seem to break it.
1 person likes this
@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
17 Aug 15
@TexanTornado As long you keep the phone etc. on silent... :)
1 person likes this
@TexanTornado (5573)
• United States
17 Aug 15
@minx267 
Point taken. Seriously though, I would never do that.
Point taken. Seriously though, I would never do that.@TexanTornado (5573)
• United States
16 Aug 15
@minx267 You do have a point there, but I think it might be better than me snoring during those events. Just kidding.
You do have a point there, but I think it might be better than me snoring during those events. Just kidding.1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
4 Aug 11
I am good when it comes to social sites, but when I do my schoolwork I have to concentrate only on that...So I guess it depends on what I am doing, I can write my story with music playing, but when I am doing math, I need complete silence..
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
4 Aug 11
Okay, I am completely different there, I had to have the radio off the first few times I tried driving in an automatic and then when I was learning to drive for my license, I really had to have the radio off because I learned in a 4-speed, stick shift...
But now I can drive either and love blasting the radio, except my family hates it, including my son..
But now I can drive either and love blasting the radio, except my family hates it, including my son..@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
4 Aug 11
I hear you on that one... Although I did have to learn to Drive a car with the radio on.. It relaxed me.. My mother when teaching me was mad and would shut it off.. My aunt would let me leave it on, when she was teaching me...
So I totally enjoyed having her teach me instead.. which then angered my mother.. LOL..
Wow, a trip down memory lane.. that was so long ago.
1 person likes this
@moonchild1au (6237)
• Australia
4 Aug 11
It really depends with me, when it comes to house work, I can get easily distracted, I'll start one thing then think of something else & go do that instead of finishing the first task I have started.
Tonight, I am sitting in the lounge room watching tv, knitting & going through my emails - answering mylot & gather discussions as well while keeping an eye on my ebay auctions which are ending tonight. 
@moonchild1au (6237)
• Australia
4 Aug 11
i guess you could say that...the only downer is I have to put my knitting down every time I have to type...now if only I had another pair of arms 
@stormeetigress (487)
• United States
5 Aug 11
I can rock out multi-tasking. I've been known to follow what my kids are saying, crochet, talk on the phone and follow whats being said, and watch a movie(and know whats going on) all at the same time. I've also been known to talk on the phone and finish up dinner, while talkin to my kids to see what they would like on their plates for condiments! Online, well, right now, I have my facebook going, MyLot, Batheo(a game I play online) and my email all being run and followed, also right now my husband is talking to me about a television series and I'm paying attention to that as I type! I have friends who call me the Queen of Multitasking!
@frontvisions101 (16043)
• Philippines
4 Aug 11
I don't multi-task very well. One time I was frying while recording a song. I forgot about the food and focused on the recording and completely toasted it.
I ate the left-overs that day instead.
One time I was frying while recording a song. I forgot about the food and focused on the recording and completely toasted it. I ate the left-overs that day instead.
@GardenGerty (160663)
• United States
5 Aug 11
Some of the more recent studies say that you actually accomplish more if you do not multitask. I find it very distracting for me and very stressful anymore to multi task. I will tend to put things away and forget where, and things like the driving incident you describe. So no, I do not multitask well. I do better if I act like I have tunnel vision and go straight ahead with one task at a time.
@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
5 Aug 11
I can agree with most of that. I only appear to be able to multi task well on the computer.. where it is all in front of me to remind me. take that away and I better have strings tied to each finger with a note to remind me what I was doing 5 minutes ago... heck I write grocery lists and then forget to look at the grocery list when I get to the grocery store.. haha
1 person likes this
@moondancer (7433)
• United States
4 Aug 11
I know some of the people that can only do one thing at a time, lol. I'm glad I am not one of them or I'd rarely get things done. I think that most moms or wives can multitask because we have learned to out of necessity. Also many guys do because of the type of work they do.
But there are the ones that can not do it no matter what.
One of them is a guy that works with my husband and he messes up so much. I have read and heard it's something to do with the way our brains work.
@moondancer (7433)
• United States
4 Aug 11
I know people like that too. Or if they are talking they can not do anything else. lol
@BarBaraPrz (47308)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
4 Aug 11
Does standing and breathing count?
I try not to do too many things at once (or even separately!)
@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
4 Aug 11
Nope standing and breathing do not count.. Only because breathing is an involuntary action..
Now if you were standing and picking your nose, that might count... LOL But be careful NOT to Walk and Pick your nose as the up and down action of your legs might make you dig to far up your nose and hurt yourself...
1 person likes this
@bluemoonpavilion (4658)
• Singapore
5 Aug 11
Well, I can't work while I listen to the radio, I don't know why, maybe the music distracts me. But I can work with a lot of applications opened, I can read a book, surf web, read emails, while doing a document. So, am I a good multi-tasker or not? I can't make up my mind. Guess I need to do more experiments.
@bluemoonpavilion (4658)
• Singapore
6 Aug 11
That's why we meet here! My experiments brought me everywhere.
@2004cqui (2812)
• United States
4 Aug 11
That's kind funny that you are mentioning this. My mother used to think it was funny to tell people I'd loose my head if it wasn't attached. Not funny! My husband (Mister extremely organized)can do the same thing while driving. He can forget things the same way. When you start not finding the door, walking into walls, forgetting money on the seat of your car, etc, etc, it's a problem. I am much more comfortable in front of my computer myself. Without it I am very disorganized. I know this is why there are computers everywhere. Look out that your employer finds out what you just told us! The company just may assign more responsibilities to you!
@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
4 Aug 11
LOL. Right? they know I go on the computer.. they just don't know how busy I am doing other things that they don't pay me to do...
But the phones get answer and the calls dispatched and that is what I am there for.. so If i can make a couple extra bucks Zazzling or Mylotting every night... Why not.. .I am actually increasing my wage per hour that way.. lol
@2004cqui (2812)
• United States
4 Aug 11
I just remembered something else! You said you are a dispatcher. About 20 years ago my husband was a dispatcher that did some of the stuff you do. He listened to the radio too. One of our local stations he was listening to was giving away an all expenses paid trip for two to a Huatulco, Mexico all inclusive resort. We won! He called the station when he heard our name called. When other employees heard this and got jealous they told the owner they didn't like that he could listen to the radio while working because they couldn't. He couldn't listen to it anymore. By the way-we were poor as church mice when all this happened!
@RamRes (1723)
• Argentina
14 Aug 11
Generally I'm not good at doing multiple things at the same time. I often get overwhelmed and missing some or all of what I was supposing to try to do, so just prefer to do it one at a time and take the appropriate time for each thing. In the computer I has an habit of leaving many windows open and switching between them frequently to switch task, but nothing at the same time, but instead one by one.
@Mayuko (1268)
• United States
4 Aug 11
I'm like you--great at multitasking on the computer, but not that great in real life.
I'm good at multitasking as long as I don't have to do two things that require thinking. LOL
For example, I can't watch TV while I'm on this site, since I have to read and think about responses.
On the computer, though I often have about a dozen different windows and tabs open. :P
@GardenGerty (160663)
• United States
5 Aug 11
Now, I can do hand work while I watch television, like hem something or crochet, or even make a shopping list or cut out coupons. I listen to television sometimes in the back ground while I do other things.
@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
4 Aug 11
Yea When I watch TV I really like to concentrate.. about the only other things I can do at the same time is... eat, pet my dog or cat, or maybe brush my hair.. anything other than that and I would be looking for a rewind button because I hate missing all the little nuances of a good show.
1 person likes this
@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
5 Aug 11
My mother was that way.. she Listened more sometimes than stared at the TV like I do. and she was able to do a lot of different things. I really Like to WATCH my television. And sometimes I like to rewind to re-watch something I thought was just a fantastic scene.. but I'm weird like that!
@beckyomg1 (6756)
• United States
6 Aug 11
I think being a mother that I am a good multitasker. I think most of the time that I do a good job at it. I can make dinner, be on the computer, answer the phone, do laundry, take care of the dogs all at the same time. How well i do it all at once is another thing. Ha ha. But hey you have to try.
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
6 Aug 11
I am very good at multi-tasking. I do this every single day of the week to make sure to accomplish alot of things.
@bellis716 (4799)
• United States
7 Aug 11
I used to be pretty good at multitasking, but now, at 76, I have a one track mind. Should something distract me, my mind jumps off that one track.
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
7 Aug 11
I think I'm good at it. In fact, I even raised a discussion about this here on myLot!
While at work, possibly doing the biggest project of my professional career, I myLot, coordinating thru email all the tasks for the business I just started, chatting with a friend in UK, and BBMing with another friend in Chicago.
I may not be the fastest with the things that I have to do, but I surely accomplish lots!
While at work, possibly doing the biggest project of my professional career, I myLot, coordinating thru email all the tasks for the business I just started, chatting with a friend in UK, and BBMing with another friend in Chicago.
I may not be the fastest with the things that I have to do, but I surely accomplish lots!@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
8 Aug 11
That's awesome.. I try to. I find it funny that most days (well nights for me) I just sit here doing my job and visiting websites.. I usually have facebook up.. but what is most interesting is that it seems like everyone gets together on the same night. and whereas I usually talk to no one - all of a sudden 3 people will be IM'ing me at the same time. So I have to juggle 3 conversations and answer the phone here at work at the same time.
I think it's weird that it always seems to happen this way.. and I don't usually have the time to get much else done that night. but it does make the time go by pretty quickly..
