Unnecessary Context Switches & the Myth of Multitasking
Posted: March 28, 2011 Filed under: Inner Game, Management | Tags: multi-tasking, multitasking, Productivity, the zone 1 CommentThanks to Tony C. who sent this suggestion as follow-up to the recent Social Media post:
Thought you might be interested in this article and the book that it references - “The Myth of Multitasking”
[Disclosure: I haven’t read the book and so this is not an endorsement.]
This book deals with “Human Multitasking” - not operating systems. There is a common theme to the discussions of this book and to other content about human-multitasking. Your “cognitive attention” can be directed to any particular task but sharing attention across multiple tasks will reduce performance.
The Flow - Programming in Ecstasy
Posted: February 10, 2011 Filed under: Inner Game, Management | Tags: Creativity, Productivity, Programming, The Flow, the zone 27 CommentsI once worked in an office with a timed motion sensor light switch. If it didn’t detect motion in the office for 20 minutes or so it would turn off the lights.
When I was programming “In The Zone” the lights would switch off repeatedly and often over hours of work. Each time I’d flail my arms briefly to get the lights back and return to the task at hand, back into the zone. Eventually I would get the hint, switch my mind off, stretch and go home to wife and kids.
I enjoyed being in the zone… greatly. I lost track of time. I lost awareness of my surrounds. I was detached from everything around me and was immersed in my task. It felt great but strangely I wasn’t really aware of that feeling when in the zone.
