I've been asked, "What's your definition of multi-tasking and task-multiing?"

Here's how I have answered... 

First - the way I use them, both words refer to processes/actions done by people's brains [not machines].

• Multi-tasking is doing [or trying to do] a number of different tasks at one time.
• Task-multiing is doing one thing so well it can either be repeated for profit or used to accomplish more than one goal...or both.

And, there is more...

People do not multi-task well...if not all people then at least the vast majority of people do not multi-task well. When we multi-task our brains slice time & thought and actions up into small pieces to meet the requirements of multiple tasks. When brains do that they must repeatedly shift our attention.

When we multi-task we focus, initiate, stop, shift, re-focus, re-initiate, etc. For a number of reasons, people's brains have trouble doing that.

Another factor: when we are multi-tasking, much of the time we are doing things that are a waste of time. By 'waste of time' I mean things that do not take us toward our goals. By Spirited definition, those things are Bad Habits. The distraction caused by multi-tasking increases the likelihood of doing waste-of-time things.

While we are wasting our time on excessive [multi-tasking] things or struggling with multi-tasking in general, we are not concentrating on activity that can be repeated for profit or can be used to serve multiple purposes. i.e., Many people's brains are too busy [because of their] multi-tasking to perform task-multiing. As a result, multi-tasking people miss many opportunities.

Opportunities are found by people who are able to focus and concentrate the energies in their minds...[and let that focus and concentration fully escape...but that's a topic for another day].

Many brains are neuronally challenged to the point they are over-loaded...in other words - too busy. The people who own those brains are, in reality, too busy for constructive work. What's worse, even more people think they are too busy - these people are mixing I'm-too-busy thoughts with bits and pieces and fragments of multi-tasking thoughts. Now, that's a sure-fired way to waste brain energy and accomplish little.

That's why I say task-multiing is better than multi-tasking.

[It’s also explains why successful people have more time…but, that’s another Thought Post.]

***

"The neural circuits devoted to scanning, skimming and multi-tasking are expanding and strengthening while those used for reaping and thinking deeply with sustained concentration are weakening or eroding."

Clifford Nass, Stanford University

Thought Tweet #671 Desire to be different; Prepare to be provocative.

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Provocative def'n: to provoke, excite or stimulate    

Provoke def'n: to arouse a feeling or action

When we arouse feeling or action we have the opportunity to bring about productivity and we enable change.

To arouse the specific feelings or actions required for the desired productivity and the desired change we need to prepare.

Entrepreneurs have deal-doing insight.

Good salespeople have deal-doing Insight, which can be defined as:

• a natural, deep capacity to understand people and situations,
• a tuned intuition that identifies patterns & trends, and
• an ability to see gaps and know ways to fill them.

True entrepreneurs and salespeople possess a set of natural talents that work together to create insight strength.

As one example:

Consider Ideation and Intellection...the ability to imagine ideas and the ability to think about and understand ideas. These are two distinct aspects of Talent: that is, to a degree they can be viewed as distinct. Ideation and Intellection are 'intertwined'. Many people tend to be 'set' in one mode or the other. As a result - few people possess the ability to shut off Intellection in order to free up Ideation. Few people possess the ability to set aside judgment and replace it with open-mindedness or free-flowing creativity. Indeed, very few people can switch back and forth between Ideation and Intellection. Most people get stuck in thought ruts...thought habits.

Q: Can a person develop Insight Strength?

A: Absolutely - Yes!

Here's a great way to start - read some of Edward de Bono's work.

Applaud curiosity.

Spend more time with inwords.

Remember - deal-doing insight can be converted into fortunes.