Multitasking vs. Multiprocessing — A Buddhist Perspective on the Myth of Handling Everything
I can handle one task. Two? Sure, why not? Three? That can be a problem, but I can multitask, right? And still take on a few smaller tasks in between… preferably between breakfast (which I didn’t have) and dinner, which I also don’t have the time for. After dinner I have a meeting and another big task to handle. But I can still multitask, right?
No, you can’t. Multitasking is a myth, just like a goldfish that grants wishes or a sober Homer Simpson. Except at least someone was actually happy in the presence of the fish. Multitasking means juggling a lot of responsibility and taking care of a few tasks at once. Meaning only one thing, optimistically, can be done right. Let’s introduce multiprocessing — a method for getting things done, that not only sounds cool, but also works.
What’s Wrong with This Picture?
You are an intelligent person, working as a marketing specialist for a company that values your competence, intelligence and experience. That’s why your “burden” is to not only work towards completion of serious campaigns, but probably even elevating younger, less experienced colleagues. Even if you delegate, you can’t do it all. So you’re doing it all by yourself. You start micromanaging and multitasking. And you think that this is a model that works. Overworked and always out of time, you seem to forget how to enjoy your work. This picture cannot be painted over, but it can be put in a new frame; one that will give you a blank canvas to work with.
OK, enough with the metaphors, let’s get back to business. Stop doing two or more things at the same time — it’s that simple. Yes, it can be done. No, doing two things simultaneously is not even called multitasking — it’s just switching. We will get to multiprocessing, but first let’s ask a more pressing question — how can you improve your backlog execution?
Be Present and Focus — It’s That Simple
It’s worth remembering a few handy tips. Most of the time it’s enough to keep you at the top of your game.
Don’t let your mind wander too much. It’s somewhat natural, but don’t let thoughts about other tasks distract you from what you’re currently doing. Their time will come, don’t worry.
Work on something for 1–3 hours with a few 1–3 minutes breaks. Even if you’re unable to finish it, you will have the opportunity to do a decent chunk of work. Maybe the wait for another person’s work will stop you. Maybe the executive decision that has to be made above your head. But it sure won’t be a limit put there for yourself by yourself. Don’t do anything else, just focus on one particular task. The exception to that would be to look on your phone while something is rendering or making small talk while writing copy or drawing graphics. This is allowed, although not recommended. Use the present as a chance for getting things done. If you’re waiting for something else to pop-up and you’re free for the time being, don’t sink into another task. Rest your eyes a little bit. Think about what you’re going to do next. Who to call, what to say, what to right down and in what order. All in relation to your current duty.
Use External Tools to Track Your Focus and Progress
Monisha Longacre, a founder of Priorigami, a mobile app for boosting productivity, got it right. By drawing from her experience, she introduced an app for managing tasks instead of managing time. It’s practically the same thing, but shown in a more productive way.
Imagine you have a list of things to do and you can only do 3 of them. Absurd, right? No, it’s prioritizing, optimizing and multiprocessing. I will do only the three most important tasks and move on to the next one, if I have the time. The rest can be done a little later or by a different person. It’s managing time and delegating. Multiprocessing. Instead of doing everything yourself simultaneously and being stressed out by quality, you can do one thing at a time, ensuring top quality. You can still put other people on another job. Watch this video on how to get everything done and get inspired:
There are of course different categories of tools that can help you:
- List-making
- Note-taking
- Calendar and scheduling
- Time management and time tracking
- File storing and sharing
- Project management
Each and every one of them will help you manage all your work, but none of them will teach you how to multitask. As we’ve said before, it can’t be done. By using Priorigami or any other app, you’ll see:
- What you have already accomplished
- What is left to do
- What tasks are yours
- What tasks can be pinned on someone else
By putting two or more people on the same task, you are effectively:
- Freeing up some of your time
- Increasing the quality with which your other tasks can be done
- Putting more responsibility on others, letting them learn and cooperate
The last point is pretty important too. By putting more than one person on a task, you elevate everyone by letting them learn from each other and you create additional value by nurturing an environment where creative minds can cooperate. Focus on your priorities, then assign other responsibilities so that multiprocessing can be in effect.
At Landingi, we know how important time is. That’s why we’ve developed our landing page builder not only around the process of landing page creation, but also the sharing of this process. You can free yourself from IT and their schedule, but also send a created landing page to your team to edit and comment on (with different levels of security clearance for each account in mind). If you’re looking for a tool to manage your campaigns, our proposition can save you a lot of time and help in multiprocessing.
Buddhism in a Service of Getting Things Done
You can’t do everything by yourself, but you can manage it. By being present in the moment, you can think more clearly and handle everything by prioritization, delegation and cooperation.
Zen, often associated with “Zen Buddhism” is a Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word “chan”, which is a pronunciation of the Indian Sanskrit word “dhyana” (often “sunya”). It translates into “emptiness” or “void”. This is the basis for zen itself — all that exists is based on some form of dynamic emptiness. This view is also supported and actively adopted by modern science, which often observes occurrences at a sub-atomic level. Things just appear and fade instantly; in and out of existence. There is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow. There’s only today, and more precisely — the present moment.
To reclaim this moment, to pull it out of the void of constant responsibility, is the dream of every marketing expert in the world. By managing your time and daily tasks, you can do that. Be focused and aware of everything that is happening. The rest will come naturally.
P.S. When you’re finally relaxed and ready for a new perspective, take another look at the phrase “What’s wrong with this picture”. A British photographer Oliver Curtis shoots famous locations from new angles, showing the present moment in a new light.
