Of all the strengths that get mistakenly identified as a weakness in today’s world, one of the most common is difficulty with multitasking. This is NOT a weakness and it’s time for people to stop viewing it as such.
Yes, it’s true that more people multitask and do so more often than ever before in our society. People list the ability to multitask as a skill on their resumes and many employers list it as a desired attribute when hiring.
Here’s the secret many people don’t want to admit human beings aren’t very good at multitasking. Some people are better at it than others, but by and large, even those of us who can do so don’t do it well. Productivity goes down as multi-tasking goes up. So does output. What rises with multitasking? Mistakes and frustration.
Instead of seeing your difficulty with multitasking as a weakness, look at it as the strength it really is. Below are a few of the advantages it gives you.
Strong Concentration Skills
People who are good at multitasking, or at least experienced at it, have difficulty concentrating on tasks for longer than 15 or 20 minutes. This makes it difficult to get large tasks done without multiple breaks. If you don’t multitask well, then your attention span is longer.
Ability to Deep Work
Deep work is the ability to focus on an important task for an extended period of time, usually measured in hours. People who multitask regularly cannot do this. Those who don’t or can’t multitask are much more likely to be able to do so and can usually train themselves if they don’t have the innate ability.
Fewer Mistakes
The mistake rate for people who don’t multitask is much lower than for people who do. This results in higher-quality work.
Higher Creativity
Multitasking leads to lower creativity. Focusing on one task at a time naturally leads to the opposite. Those with difficulty multitasking tend to have higher creativity naturally, which is a bonus.
Less Stress and Anxiety
People who can’t or don’t multitask suffer from less stress and anxiety than those who do. This has been found in so many studies now that some experts recommend reducing multitasking as a stress reliever!
Don’t buy into the lie that multitasking is a must-have strength. It’s a weakness instead. Your difficulty multitasking might be one of your greatest assets!