I Was Just Pretending to Multitask
If I may say so myself.
I can actually do anything.
I don't have one single thing I excel at, but if I try, I can do it.
And I notice small details well.
It's like that girl at a group date who casually serves food from a large platter (lol).
For many years, I thought I was a person who could handle both work and hobbies through multitasking.
But in reality, that seems to have been a delusion.
I realized this clearly when I tried audiobooks.
My catchphrase was always 'I have no time, I'm busy,' andwhen I was feeling frustrated about not being able to read as much as I wanted, I discovered audiobooks.
Lured by the sweet phrase 'First, a free trial,' I downloaded the app.
When I started listening to a book I had wanted to read for a while,wow, I was surprised! Wow, it was fun!
The professionals are amazing.
The voice is good, it's easy to listen to, and the story flows right in.
'I can listen to this while preparing meals or taking a bath! I'm not wasting any time!' I was so happy and tried it for a while.
However.
I got so absorbed in an audiobook while cooking that I burned the pot.
I listened so intently while bathing that I got lightheaded.
I got so immersed while driving that I almost missed a traffic light.
I felt a bit of a threat to my life (← exaggerating), and the audiobook app disappeared from my home screen.
I realized, albeit late, that I cannot do two things at the same time.
'If I can't multitask, I feel like a failure. It's such a waste of time.'
I was feeling down when I found this book at a bookstore, and it saved me.
In the first place, the brain cannot focus on multiple things at once
Huh? Is that so?
But there are people who can multitask, and there's a trend that says those who can handle it are capable.
In truth, humans are not multitasking. They are just switching rapidly from task to task.
Huh? Is that so? (Second time lol)
And since we aren't aware that we are switching, it seems we fall into the illusion that we are doing things simultaneously.
And without knowing it, fatigue accumulates in the brain.
This book also says the following.
Do you ever feel like you've been busy the whole time, yet have no sense of accomplishment?
Yes, I do (laughs).
I feel like I haven't accomplished anything almost every day.
If I was just pretending to multitask because I didn't want to waste time, but I didn't feel a sense of accomplishment, does that mean I didn't actually get my tasks done?
In other words, was it a waste of time?
That's truly putting the cart before the horse (laughs).
Whether it's multitasking or single-tasking (focusing on one thing), I think either is fine as long as you feel satisfied, thinking, 'I worked hard today!'
After all, everyone has different strengths and weaknesses.
Come to think of it, when I was a student, I couldn't study while listening to music, and when I was doing something I liked, I wouldn't hear the sounds around me, so my parents often scolded me.
Well, it turns out I was a 'single-tasker' from the start.
I must have just been pretending to multitask because it's trendy these days, even though I'm not capable of it.
That's kind of embarrassing (laughs).