Multi tasking
I went to a leadership thing last summer and I heard this speaker talking about multi tasking. When he first started with the subject I thought "I am a great multi tasker", but what I quickly learned was that multi tasking is impossible.... I know you are probable thinking just like I was that it can be done, because you are doing it. Well what the speaker goes on to say is pretty eye opening.
He says in essence that when we try to multi task we in just doing a bunch of things poorly, or one really well and the other poorly. As I heard him talk about this over the course of an hour or so I realized he was right. He gives the illustration of serving two masters... You will either love one more than the other or you will hate one and follow the other....
As I look back and reflect on my multi tasking I understand that to be true. But I am struggling with not multi tasking. I am struggling with just doing one thing until completion, then starting the next thing. It seems I have so much going on at all times that I don't have time to finish one thing at a time, but that really is just an excuse I think. I mean if we have time to work on two, three, four or maybe even five things at once then why in the world do we not have time to work on one thing until completion?
Think of it this way. Is it easier to balance three balls on your head and walk ten feet or is it easier to balance one at a time and walk ten feet. I use to say when I was in management that I am juggling a lot of balls and it is just a matter of time before one drops.... How many balls are you dropping? Why?
The answer is really pretty simple. Boundaries! We are people with very few boundaries. I know some of you are saying I have great boundaries.... Really? Do you let you yes be yes and you no be no? I would bet not. If you do then why are you juggling? We are humans and we want to be good at things and we think the more I do the better I will be.
If I were hiring someone for a particular job I would want them to be great at it, not good. Seriously think about that. How many people do you know that say I am pretty good at everything. I do not want to be that guy. I want to be OK at some things but great at others. I want to be able to say I do that OK, I'm not the best, but I am great at xyz.
How many good athletes do you know that make it to the Hall of Fame? I can't imagine a coach telling there teams "Hey we just need to be good to win the Championship". I sure they stress greatness. My favorite coach now is Marvin Lewis. He is a great motivator! He has this motto "Do Your Job". Simple yet effective. Interesting that he doesn't say do your job and anything else you think you can handle. No put all of you talent, effort, energy, passion and love into your job one play at a time. Sounds pretty easy doesn't it.
So where are you shorting yourself? What areas are you trying to multi task?
John Wooden who coached UCLA to eight straight basketball Championships use to say "a winner can only be determined by the individual, only he knows if he put everything he had into it". Now that is my paraphrased version, but the point is the same. Only you know what you are capable of and my question is still the same. Where are you shorting yourself?
God I pray that I give everything my all. I want to be able to complete each task in life with all of the talents you have given me, I know that if I do everything to the best of my ability it will Glorify you and I will have nothing to be ashamed of. If it is my best then I can't improve on that, so please help me with that, Amen.
He says in essence that when we try to multi task we in just doing a bunch of things poorly, or one really well and the other poorly. As I heard him talk about this over the course of an hour or so I realized he was right. He gives the illustration of serving two masters... You will either love one more than the other or you will hate one and follow the other....
As I look back and reflect on my multi tasking I understand that to be true. But I am struggling with not multi tasking. I am struggling with just doing one thing until completion, then starting the next thing. It seems I have so much going on at all times that I don't have time to finish one thing at a time, but that really is just an excuse I think. I mean if we have time to work on two, three, four or maybe even five things at once then why in the world do we not have time to work on one thing until completion?
Think of it this way. Is it easier to balance three balls on your head and walk ten feet or is it easier to balance one at a time and walk ten feet. I use to say when I was in management that I am juggling a lot of balls and it is just a matter of time before one drops.... How many balls are you dropping? Why?
The answer is really pretty simple. Boundaries! We are people with very few boundaries. I know some of you are saying I have great boundaries.... Really? Do you let you yes be yes and you no be no? I would bet not. If you do then why are you juggling? We are humans and we want to be good at things and we think the more I do the better I will be.
If I were hiring someone for a particular job I would want them to be great at it, not good. Seriously think about that. How many people do you know that say I am pretty good at everything. I do not want to be that guy. I want to be OK at some things but great at others. I want to be able to say I do that OK, I'm not the best, but I am great at xyz.
How many good athletes do you know that make it to the Hall of Fame? I can't imagine a coach telling there teams "Hey we just need to be good to win the Championship". I sure they stress greatness. My favorite coach now is Marvin Lewis. He is a great motivator! He has this motto "Do Your Job". Simple yet effective. Interesting that he doesn't say do your job and anything else you think you can handle. No put all of you talent, effort, energy, passion and love into your job one play at a time. Sounds pretty easy doesn't it.
So where are you shorting yourself? What areas are you trying to multi task?
John Wooden who coached UCLA to eight straight basketball Championships use to say "a winner can only be determined by the individual, only he knows if he put everything he had into it". Now that is my paraphrased version, but the point is the same. Only you know what you are capable of and my question is still the same. Where are you shorting yourself?
God I pray that I give everything my all. I want to be able to complete each task in life with all of the talents you have given me, I know that if I do everything to the best of my ability it will Glorify you and I will have nothing to be ashamed of. If it is my best then I can't improve on that, so please help me with that, Amen.
posted by Andy Rainey at Saturday, February 18, 2006
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