Can You Do Two Things at the Same Time?

Can you do two things at the same time?  In our world and age, people would say “yes” because this is how they understand multitasking and most of us believe that we need to multitask to survive in our fast-pace world.  Moms, especially single moms, are known to be experts in this field.  But seriously, if you consider the pros and cons of what the experts say, is it possible to do two things at the same time?

According to Kendra Cherry, author of “The Cognitive Costs of Multitasking” published at about.com, multitasking can reduce productivity by approximately 40 percent and switching from one task to another makes it difficult to tune out distractions and can cause mental blocks that can slow down one’s progress.  It seems that Philip Stranhope, more popularly known as Lord Chesterfield, a British Statesman and a man of letters, agreed with Kendra. In one of his many letters to his son in the 1740s, he gave this advice, “There is time enough for everything in the course of the day, if you do but one thing at once, but there is not time enough in the year, if you will do two things at a time.”

On the other side, the demands of today’s workplace require an employee to work on different tasks at one time or simultaneously.  Today’s employee will be responding to urgent emails while sending text messages to remind his co-workers of a task they need to finish or attending a virtual meeting.  It is expected from the employee to juggle several different tasks at the same time without losing sight of his ultimate objective.  A number of business leaders believe that to survive in the rat race, they must be able to master the art of multitasking.

I am inclined to agree with both sides of the argument because multitasking is possible depending on the task at hand. 

If you are a writer, you can think of what to write while folding your laundry.  Folding laundry can be combined with thinking because you don’t have to fold your laundry in a scientific way.  You don't have to work your mind in this task, so you might as well use the time to think intelligibly instead of flooding your mind with bad thoughts and heartaches.

You can relax by reading a book or watching TV while you set your automatic washing machine to do your laundry.  As most of the people in the business world say, it is mixing business with pleasure.

In our internet world it is common to see a family glued to the TV with laptops and cell phones in hand updating their status on facebook and twitter, catching up with families and friends.

Jogging while enjoying your favorite music.

Walking your dog while listening your audio book. You exercise, finish a task, learn or relax with this multi-activity.

Having coffee while catching up with friends on facebook.

Feel free to add to this list J