The Chaos of Mastering Multitasking
I’ll never forget the day I started my new role at Lark, the superapp for work. Diving into heaps of fresh product information, my ambitious self thought I could tackle it all. I had countless document links open alongside orientation, meetings, and tasks-at-hand. [7]
Result? A chaotic 10-tabs-3-browsers juggle, and truth be told, I barely made a dent in reading over the past 3 days. It felt like a border-crossing from Singapore to Malaysia – touch-and-go. [7]
The Virtue of Singular Focus
Thankfully, I learned a valuable lesson that day: multitasking kills productivity. [6] As a self-proclaimed productivity enthusiast, I had to get to the bottom of this. How could I master the art of multitasking and stay on top of my game?
Exploring the World of Online Gaming
That’s when I stumbled upon the surprising benefits of online gaming. As a casual gamer myself, I knew the thrill of immersing myself in virtual worlds. But I never realized the potential it held for honing my multitasking skills. [8]
Lessons from Dungeon Masters
I started digging deeper, and one particularly insightful thread on Reddit caught my eye. Dungeon Masters, the creative minds behind Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, shared their experiences with players who just couldn’t seem to stay focused. [1]
“I’ve had players playing other games and I believe it has distracted them,” one Dungeon Master lamented. “I’ve brought it up at my (virtual) table and had some very mixed responses.”
This struck a chord with me. How could I, as an aspiring multitasking master, learn from these experienced game masters?
Unraveling the Secrets of Work-in-Progress
As I delved deeper, I stumbled upon another fascinating concept: the importance of work-in-progress (WIP) limits. [2] It turns out that online gaming holds valuable lessons for managing our own digital workspaces.
One Agile coach shared an ingenious exercise using Jenga blocks to demonstrate the pitfalls of unchecked multitasking. “The pairs must deconstruct the towers by first removing all the centre blocks. Then working from the top. Iteration 1 – No wip forced maximum throughput. Both pairs must remove their blocks with both hands at the same time. If the tower crumbles they need to rebuild and start again. This should be hilarious; give them a time box in failure.”
The lessons were clear: when we try to juggle too many tasks at once, our productivity grinds to a halt, much like those poor Jenga tower builders.
The Perils of Multitasking in Online Gaming
But the insights didn’t stop there. I discovered that even in the world of online gaming, the lure of multitasking can be a double-edged sword. [3]
One Melvor Idle player shared their experience with a “multitasking” mod that allowed them to train multiple skills simultaneously. “Everything goes so much faster and you can mine and smelt etc at the same time which is nice.. But what does the veterans think?”
The responses were mixed, with seasoned players cautioning that such mods could ultimately undermine the core gameplay experience. As one commenter put it, “Bobby Fischer once said ‘blitz chess kills your ideas’, and that seemed to be what was happening to me. Blitz was rotting my brain.” [4]
The Allure and Pitfalls of Online Chess
Speaking of blitz chess, I stumbled upon a powerful cautionary tale about the dangers of online gaming addiction. [4] A self-proclaimed chess enthusiast shared how their love for the game quickly spiraled out of control, leading to missed bus stops, neglected phone calls, and a growing sense of dissatisfaction with the person they were becoming.
“I didn’t like the person it was making me, but a few strategic moves later, the calm and mystique of the game returned,” they reflected. “It’s all too easy to lose yourself to the algorithms and forget that the world keeps turning when you play chess, or anything else, online.”
The Beauty of Dual Monitor Gaming
But not all online gaming experiences have to be a zero-sum game. In fact, I discovered that a well-crafted dual monitor setup can be a game-changer for multitasking and productivity. [5]
“No matter what kind of game you’re playing, having a dual monitor setup creates a better experience than only using one monitor while gaming,” the article explained. “You can do so much more at once with a multi-monitor gaming setup. For example, you can have instructions on one monitor, and the gameplay on the second monitor. This makes it easier to play because you don’t have to keep closing the game window to open a new window and read the instructions.”
The article went on to provide a step-by-step guide on setting up the perfect dual monitor gaming experience, highlighting the importance of monitor size, frame thickness, and even the right desk setup.
Striking the Right Balance
As I pieced together these insights from the gaming world, a clear picture emerged: mastering multitasking is not about mindlessly juggling a dozen tasks at once. It’s about finding the right balance, setting boundaries, and leveraging the power of focus and singular attention.
Online gaming, with its unique challenges and opportunities, has much to teach us about navigating the digital landscape. From the cautionary tales of unchecked multitasking to the strategic benefits of dual monitor setups, the gaming community has valuable lessons to share.
So the next time you find yourself tempted to open one too many tabs or dive headfirst into a gaming binge, remember the wisdom of the Dungeon Masters, the Melvor Idle veterans, and the cautionary tale of the online chess addict. Embrace the power of focus, set your WIP limits, and let the lessons of online gaming guide you towards a more productive and fulfilling digital experience.
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/u687ua/dungeon_masters_what_do_you_do_when_your_players/
[2] https://coalition.agileuprising.com/t/exercise-to-show-the-importance-of-wip/1130
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/MelvorIdle/comments/1akgrla/multitasking_mod_cheating/
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/05/online-chess-addiction-ruining-life
[5] https://www.autonomous.ai/ourblog/dual-monitor-gaming-setup-step-by-step
[6] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tingenong_smallwins-productivity-activity-6986355484593184768-CIar
[7] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292819554_Mastering_Multitasking
[8] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-gaming-can-help-you-gain-essential-life-skills-clarence
