Once upheld as the ultimate form of productivity, multitasking has been getting a bad rap lately.  And rightfully so; research suggests that we tend to get work done about 30-50% more slowly when we multitask*.  Though the pitfalls of multitasking are well-known today, I always like to test things for myself.

Before I started working at Taiji Zen, I worked at Google facilitating classes related to positive psychology.  In one of the classes we debunked the multitasking myth with a fun exercise.  If you’re interested, you can try it now:

Timing yourself with a stopwatch, write the following word and number combination (below) first using Method 1 and then using Method 2.  Compare the difference in time between the two methods.

M U L T I T A S K I N G             I S             A           M Y T H
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19

(If you don’t have a stopwatch handy, use this online version: http://www.online-stopwatch.com/)

Method 1:

1. Start your stopwatch
2. First write ‘Multitasking is a myth,’ then write the numbers 1-19 below it.
3. Record your time

Method 2:

1. Start your stopwatch
2. First write M, and then below it write 1; U then 2; L then 3; etc., until you’ve written the whole thing.
3. Record your time

What times are you recording?  Post your results in the comments section!

*Source: American Psychological Association