One things that I realised recently is the “how” of how I multitask.
The primary way I handle multiple tasks is to use a digital notepad (Google Keep to be exact). I keep notes, and checklists of items I have to do everything from things I do “Every week” for classes, to planned blog posts, checks issued, things to buy and clients to satisfy.
This method and prioritizing within notes (Google Keep makes it easy to move notes around, and rearrange orders of check-boxes) enhances my workflow. And brings me back to task when I drift away… which trust me isn’t all that hard when you have four monitors and competing responsibilities.
That is also how I mange… I have FOUR monitors or five screens if you count my cellphone.
Basically I have a digital and physical desk.
Lets label them A-D from left to right and I’ll explain how I use my monitors.
Monitor A (15.6″), is the one I keep my Google Keep and my Google calendar. I also move processes that are running and will take a while (like uploading files to a server) to this screen, and hide them behind my Google Keep, so when I minimize Keep I can see their progress.
Monitor B and D are my primary and secondary work-spaces respectively. On Monitor B (the largest of my monitors at 22″) I usually keep the task I’m working on. Unless I have to juggle a second task, which is when I switch to monitor D(19″) to complete the secondary task and then return to B. On monitors B and D I have Google Chrome running usually with anywhere from 2-17 pages open on each. Again depending on my tasks.
Monitor C (15.6″), which is my laptop’s monitor usually carries things like the tool windows of an adobe product, a folders window, or a system window… and occasionally it’s a tertiary work-space… but it generally is just where I go to open programs and files.
And usually while I work I don’t really use my phone, except as a watch. As most notifications from my phone are fed through chrome to me on my laptop monitor/C.
In this way I’ve taken a traditional desk and how it’s used and made my own digital version. And trust me I appreciate every moment of not having to open something to look at my Google Keep, or not have to close something so I can run something else. Though occasionally I do lose my mouse pointer on the various screens, all in all I find the new media to mirror the old media of paper and pen and files and folders that I also keep on my physical desk. New tools with similar use.