This website covers knowledge management, personal effectiveness, theory of constraints, amongst other topics. Opinions expressed here are strictly those of the owner, Jack Vinson, and those of the commenters.

Multi-tasking and Covey

Josh Nankivel has started blogging and picked up on the perennially-favorite topic of multi-tasking: Multi - tasking, Covey and TOC.

Multi-tasking is a subject I'm passionate about. Passionate about NOT doing actually, whenever possible. Let me start by identifying two types of multi-tasking, bad and required. ...

He talks about the theory of constraints connection, and he also makes connection to Covey's 4 quadrants.  I particularly like that he makes a clear link from the "bad multi-tasking" concerns of the TOC world to his personal issues with multitasking. 

Personally, it is becoming painfully obvious how much damage jumping from task-to-task does.  Over the end-of-year break, I've had more free time than I need, so I end up starting many little activities that take much longer than they ever should do.  I laugh at myself in the morning, as I prepare everyones' lunches: "Do one at a time, Jack.  One at a time."

Nankivel discusses his daily routine.  I read a lot of what David Allen proposes in Getting Things Done.  It's also similar to what Covey talks about in the four quadrants discussion of importance and urgency.  With a brain full of extra stuff because there is no trusted system, I am almost guaranteed to multi-task.

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Europe, Asia and India 2006 MAKE awards