The Art of 'Multi-tasking'

They say that we have to live as many lives as possible in order to understand life better. That we have to look at things from different eyes, different perspectives in order to come up with  better opinions, better ideas, or better analysis. Since, however, we are only limited by a certain mortal age; ‘multi-tasking’ becomes the next best alternative for this particular aspiration.

For whatever reason why people end up as multi-taskers, whether it is because of financial needs, for learning, or even for the mere sake of being busy, multi-tasking becomes a skill for most – the mother, who is a teacher and a store-owner at the same time, or the taxi driver who is also a college student and an artist. Perhaps it is in this mode where they can express the many individuals inside them – living multiple lives, and tasting bits of those different worlds.

I started multi-tasking when I was in highschool, joining as many clubs and learning different things from them, while actually being an active member of our church’s choir. It is that insatiable hunger to know more, to learn more, and to try different things. I wanted to expand my world. Today, I have developed that tendency to grab everything within, and sometimes, without my reach – As a college instructor, community official, graduate-school student, and from time to time, a wannabe writer/blogger.

Now, you might be asking ‘how?’ .Hence, the reason I wrote this article. I would like to share tips on how to become your very own ‘multi-tasking’ machine. Hoping that this would help;

1.     Decide that you want to become one. When you multi-task, you are not guaranteed ‘excellence’ in those things that you do. You lose time, concentration, and energy with specific tasks/jobs, and there will always be that danger of arriving into ‘mediocrity’.  It will be a choice of many things which are merely ‘good’, or a single thing, which may be the ‘best’. Choose.

2.      Pick things that you love to do, or you want to do. There is no point in multi-tasking when you hate doing most of the things in your plate. However, do not be hasty in dismissing things because of first impressions – give it a chance, and learn how to love them because sometimes, you really have to. (Also, avoid procrastination - even if you love doing it hehe)

3.      It’s not about the money, money, money. Money is only a tool to living a life of contentment, not necessarily happiness. However, the things that you choose to do must also be worth it; there are expenses to consider – the bills, food, transportation, and even those time to time ‘breathers’, thus, you must be smart to know if the things you are doing can financially support the other, and also value things not for its profit, or money generating capacity. If it ‘breaks even’ but you are happy, then you are fine.

4.      Know your limitations. Consider everything, and I mean everything. If you want to work and study at the same time – then your workplace and school must be very near (or better, those that are near your home). Consider not only the distance, but also the ‘shifts’ the time element, and consider your health. It would be pointless to drown yourself in many things at the expense of your health – for you might be earning much only to spend it at the hospital. This comes with the rationality of eliminating a task/job, which compromises and/or endangers your other tasks/jobs.

5.      Exploit technology. Use your cellphones’ sound recorder to review your lessons while at the jeepney (and also while resting your eyes a bit – just don’t fall asleep – baka manakawan ka pa hehe). A friend also made use of a loan to buy his car so he can instantaneously go from point A, to point B, or the location of his different tasks/jobs. The point is, there are tools at your disposal, just use them.

6.      Have a goal. As Bruce Lee said, ‘they may not necessarily be there to be reached or achieved, but, just to aim at’. It is a guide; in that very cycle which may encourage stress and boredom, we need a picture to inspire us – a more comfortable life perhaps, our very own home, a trip abroad, an academic degree or a career. That would be one’s personal choice.

7.      Confidence. No one will believe us when we ourselves do not believe in ourselves. This quality will be very visible not just to our workmates, classmates, co-members of our group, but also to our employers, and business partners. This quality will open many doors. 

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