Practicing "Multitasking" to Maximize Creativity

 With less than 40 days left in 2024, I realize that many, if not most, of the goals I set at the beginning of the year remain unachieved. However, this is an annual occurrence, so I don't let it bother me. Instead, I focus on the numerous tasks that need to be completed by the end of the year. These tasks vary widely, encompassing work-related and personal matters, individual and team efforts. Special attention is required for tasks involving contracts because commitments made to others are not about whether they can be done but about doing and completing them.
 
I aim to complete all accumulated tasks and welcome the new year with a clear mind.
 
Imagine you have several tasks presented before you. To complete them quickly, you would prioritize them and tackle them one by one from the top priority. You would evaluate each task based on two criteria: "importance" and "urgency," and start with those that score high on both. Conversely, tasks that score low on these criteria would be deferred. This method of prioritizing based on "importance" and "urgency" is fundamental in business.
 
However, executing tasks using this method can be quite inefficient. The evaluation of "importance" and "urgency" involves both subjective and objective elements, which can vary significantly between individuals. Additionally, unforeseen factors can disrupt the evaluation process itself, leading to new tasks for further evaluation and increasing workload. This is not rational.
 
Before evaluating tasks based on "importance" and "urgency," I first determine whether they are "routine tasks" or "tasks requiring creativity." These two types of tasks differ greatly in nature and handling methods. Evaluating them based on "importance" and "urgency" can be done in subsequent steps.
 
What are routine tasks? Examples include entering monthly sales data or filing accumulated documents. Tasks with predefined rules are not very demanding. By setting fixed rules like "prioritize tasks with larger quantities," subjective and objective variations are minimized, allowing for almost automatic prioritization and mechanical completion of tasks. It is also possible to start work by envisioning the state of task completion. Once all items are processed, the task is considered complete.
 
On the other hand, tasks requiring creativity differ significantly from routine tasks. Creating plots, planning sales strategies, designing experiments, or even planning daily meals fall into this category. These tasks often lack a clear endpoint or even a starting point. There are multiple diverse elements to be determined in advance, such as evaluation criteria, components, necessary information and its cost, and selection of participants. Even with looming deadlines, progress may be slow due to anxiety—a common experience for many. Unlike routine tasks, setting a single rule like quantity does not lead to resolution because creative tasks are not simply about completion.
 
So how should we handle multiple creative tasks efficiently? I transition to "multitasking," where multiple tasks are processed simultaneously. While the framework is borrowed from others, I have added my own adjustments.
 
This might get a bit complex, so let me explain using a fictional but concrete example.
 
Let's assume we have three tasks to tackle. Of course, more than three can be multitasked depending on the situation and individual capabilities—up to five can be managed easily with practice. Ideally, these tasks should be unrelated to each other.
 
A: Creating a Plot
Developing a new story by considering themes and settings. This is mostly an individual task but carries the risk of hitting a creative block since it relies on internal sources.
 
B: Business Plan Meeting
Reviewing current status and future directions with existing members. This is a team task requiring each participant's competence.
 
C: Planning a Local Event
Planning an event from scratch without predefined themes or participants at the start. This is a team task with minimal personal influence initially.
 
When these tasks are presented simultaneously, it is challenging to prioritize them based on "importance" and "urgency."
 
Multitasking aims to complete tasks concurrently but humans cannot process multiple thoughts simultaneously with full focus—especially when it involves creativity.
 
However, it is possible to keep multiple tasks in mind subconsciously—like having several apps open on a smartphone.
 
First, list out Tasks A, B, and C side by side for an overview. This comparison helps highlight their characteristics and ensures no essential requirements are missing before starting each task. Tasks with clear schedules or those involving multiple people must adhere to their rules as part of their execution requirements. Missing or misunderstanding key requirements prevents task completion.
 
Once you understand the tasks at hand, start working on them simultaneously through multitasking. It's simple: bring Task A to the forefront of your mind while keeping Tasks B and C in the background.
 
Set a predetermined time for focusing on Task A—20 minutes up to 40 minutes works well for sustained concentration. During this time, focus solely on Task A; jot down any ideas that come up for later retrieval without judging their quality at this stage. After the set time elapses, take a 3-5 minute break before bringing Task B to the forefront while keeping Tasks A and C in mind. Repeat this process for Task C after completing Task B's time slot while keeping Tasks A and B in mind too. This cycle constitutes one set of multitasking which you repeat continuously—gradually extending time allocated per task as you get accustomed but avoid rushing conclusions as it narrows your perspective risking oversight.
 
Now, regarding the tasks "kept in the back of your mind," there are times when ideas for these tasks suddenly come to you while working on the task at the forefront. For example, while considering the plot for Task A, you might come up with a new business idea for Task B's meeting, a theme for Task C's event planning, or even a brilliant idea that can be shared across all three tasks. You might also notice gaps or mistakes. However, these should be quickly noted down as brief ideas and then immediately return to Task A. Unless there is an urgent need, avoid switching tasks.
 
The brief ideas that come up can be revisited during the next turn for that task. This means that when you bring that task to the forefront again, you already have a starting point, allowing you to dive straight into the task. These brief ideas will be refined and developed through repeated consideration, eventually taking shape. Additionally, keeping tasks "in the back of your mind" fosters inter-task connections, potentially transforming ideas from one task into solutions for another. Although you are not focusing on these tasks, your brain is processing multiple tasks simultaneously. If you are multitasking three tasks (A, B, and C), your thinking is effectively tripled.
 
All the thoughts generated for each task have been recorded in notes, ranging from nearly complete solutions to fragmented ideas. Through repeated consideration in multitasking, these ideas become layered, revised, and refined. While initial ideas are not bad, they cannot compete with the new, layered ideas built upon them. Furthermore, the influence of other parallel tasks further enhances these layered ideas.
 
These layered ideas represent an organized thought process. The final form of the task, the steps to achieve it, and even the missing parts become clearer. This thought process has essentially transformed into a "routine task." In other words, the layered ideas in your mind can be output directly into the real world. This output can be in the form of documents or tangible objects, as long as it is in a form that can be objectively recognized by others. This completes the task. Any further refinement or filling in of gaps becomes a new, separate task.
 
Earlier, I mentioned that it is ideal for multitasked tasks to be unrelated. This is not only to prevent mixed thinking but also has three major benefits. First, it makes switching focus clear, preventing you from getting stuck on one task. Second, it provides multiple starting points for ideas, allowing for objective evaluation and bold thinking from different perspectives. The biggest benefit is the ability to continue task processing. Even if no results are produced, forcibly switching to another task prevents mental stagnation, boredom, and wasted time. This is the true advantage of multitasking.
 
Tasks transitioned to multitasking are all "tasks requiring creativity," but routine tasks inevitably arise during their consideration. For Task A, this might include gathering supporting evidence or writing drafts; for Task B, sharing and reading preliminary materials; and for Task C, reviewing last year's results. These are routine tasks that can be quickly completed once their rules are established, allowing them to be separated from the multitasking process. By purifying the "tasks requiring creativity," the aspects that need consideration become clearer, bringing you closer to task completion.
 
The thought processes generated from "tasks requiring creativity" can sometimes include ideas applicable to the efficiency and improvement of routine tasks. For example, you might rearrange the steps for entering monthly sales data, change the final check from a visual inspection to an automated process, or outsource the data entry to a specialized contractor, freeing you from the task entirely. Complex, inflexible steps or legacy codes that cannot even justify their existence are merely relics hindering business efficiency. Discovering such new perspectives can be a secondary benefit of multitasking.
 
Key Points for Executing Multitasking:
1. Multitasking involves executing multiple tasks requiring creativity simultaneously.
2. Multitask 3-5 tasks.
3. Tasks should ideally be unrelated.
4. Confirm the content of each task and understand their characteristics.
5. Set allocated time (20-40 minutes).
6. Place the task being executed at the forefront of your mind, keeping other tasks in the back of your mind.
7. Record generated ideas in notes for later retrieval.
8. If ideas for other tasks come up during execution, quickly note them down and avoid switching tasks.
9. Separate routine tasks that arise during multitasking.
 
Steps:
1. Focus on and execute the task at hand and keep other tasks in the back of your mind.
2. Force-stop the task after the set time and take a 3-5 minute cooldown.
3. Move the next task to the forefront and the previous task to the back of your mind.
4. Repeat the above for the next tasks.
 
Some might doubt the effectiveness of multitasking, thinking it too convenient. This is a natural reaction. It seems unrealistic to expect ideas to come easily when they don't even after spending time and effort thinking hard. Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, it seems improbable. However, the significance of multitasking lies in not focusing on a single task.
 
Even if you immerse yourself in a single task requiring creativity, no new perspectives or suggestions will come from outside. Your thinking becomes rigid, and you cannot hear others' voices. However, multiple parallel tasks serve as both missions and sources of inspiration for each other. By creating different backgrounds and perspectives, unexpected ideas can emerge.Switching the tasks you focus on sequentially means it is not "simultaneous" in the strictest sense, but multitasking allows for parallel processing that positively influences each task. This is the intention behind executing multitasking.
 
Start multitasking calmly and without leaving anything unfinished. As mentioned repeatedly, the goal of multitasking is to complete tasks. Even if it seems roundabout, it is crucial not to rush.
 
 

Greetings, I am Kuzei Ryosei, a novelist who delves into a diverse array of genres, spanning from the historical to the contemporary. My aim is to enchant readers with tales that breathe life into history and explore the intricate issues of modern society. I warmly invite you to reach out to me.