Comments on: 7 Habits Essential for Tackling the Multitasking Virus

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:07:47 +0000

I’ve only recently found your blog and am loving your message. Your ability to simplify things (no pun intended) is to be envied. As a teacher, I have found that students often believe that they can successfully multitask while studying. This is, as you no doubt now, a fallacy. I’m pointing them to your website to help them find ways to improve their study habits by simplifying their lives!

Great work

By: Is Multitasking Killing Productivity | joshmac.net :: Tips, Tricks, Apple Updates, Productivity & Etc.

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:10:23 +0000

[...] Zen Habits (7 Habits Essential for Tackling the Multitasking Virus) [...]

By: I KNOW EVERYTHING | Momma's Blog

I KNOW EVERYTHING | Momma's Blog — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:41:06 +0000

[...] 7 Habits Essential For Tackling The Multitasking Virus: Zen Habits [...]

By: Stefano Freiesleben Sias

Stefano Freiesleben Sias — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:54:48 +0000

This is one of the most insightful posts I’ve seen in a long time. A thrill to read, while making you think about what you’re doing in life. I cannot but agree completely with Josh’s emphasis on the value of modesty and depth put together. I play chess and have done so for many years. At the same time I’m very appreciative of taichi, aikido, kungfu, chikung, yoga and other arts of body and mind. What I have learned is, that the value of basic understanding, basic technique is inexhaustible. Most of very advanced chess builds of very basic ideas and understanding of what is going on. Similarly most of effective martial art, takes a very fundamental and direct approach to conflict. But this is not something found primarily in martial arts or chess, but everywhere. Whenever we understand and apply fundamentals, we become ready to “touch the sky”.

By: Ryan Scott Miller » Thought Provoking Reads

Ryan Scott Miller » Thought Provoking Reads — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:37:27 +0000

[...] actually a guest post by Josh Waitzkin, the real life little boy in Searching For Bobby Fischer. 7 Essential Habits for Tackling the Multitasking Virus. Let me just quote one section: Let’s take the martial arts as an example—most people want to [...]

By: Two Weeks and Counting « What If

Two Weeks and Counting « What If — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:22:45 +0000

[...] ZenHabits recently published a guest post by chessmaster Josh Waitzkin who offers the following as a cure for the multitasking virus (which I [...]

By: 7 Habits Essential for Tackling the Multitasking Virus « Research

7 Habits Essential for Tackling the Multitasking Virus « Research — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 20:05:43 +0000

[...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/zenhabits/~3/308438268/  | Comments [...]

By: Jill

Jill — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:54:45 +0000

> 1. Do what you love

But what if you don’t know what it is that you love?

By: Filip S.

Filip S. — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:57:39 +0000

I just wanted to add something to the taking breaks (point 7). The ability to nap and sleep at any time indicates a healthy parasympathetic system. If we can take care some of the nightly compulsive REM sleep activities in the daytime, through mediation or a brief nap, we increase the state of parasympathetic health, then we can be better off and more alert in general.

By: A College Prof

A College Prof — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:01:02 +0000

Thank you for the excellent post.

@Sandra et al: Since I am a college prof, I have spent tons of time in classes — on both sides of the podium.

As a veteran student, I know that some professors are more engaging than others, some courses are better than others. Indeed some lectures and even entire courses are boring, poorly organized, etc. So, I do sympathize with students who are required to attend these courses.

But I would like to suggest an alternative strategy to the multi-tasking approach. I am new to this blog, but I think that my alternative fits in with the zen theme. Instead of diverting your attention away from the boring/substandard lecture, focus intently on your note-taking. Try to take the best, most copious, most well-organized notes that you can on the lecture.

This approach has kept me awake, alert, and engaged during more than one “challenging” class period.

“Why bother?” you ask. “Wouldn’t my time be better spent reconciling my eTrade checking account than focusing intently on this crappy Egypt lecture?”

Well, maybe… But maybe not. Nay, probably not. I cannot tell you how many times I had written off a course as unimportant or uninteresting only to realize later just how valuable the course was to my educational experience. Often this realization does not occur until years later. Often I am very surprised by just how valuable I now find it. Focusing on your notes may help you to mentally capture whatever is valuable in the lecture. If you are multitasking on the web, you will lose whatever may be valuable along with all of the crap that is not worth your time.

I don’t mean to let professors off the hook. Educating students is part of the prof’s job. (But it is only a part.) And it is worth trying to make lectures engaging and accessible to students.

But ultimately, it is the student who is shelling out big bucks for her college education. And it is up to her to get all she can out of the experience. You can’t make a professor be a better teacher. But the note taking strategy allows you to make the most out of what *is* under your control. It allows you to capture anything that might prove to be valuable rather than diverting your attention away from both what is bad about the lecture and from what might/could be good about it.

You seem like a very conscientious, no-nonsense kind of student. I want to see you get all you can out of your education. Cheers.