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Time Management and Multi-tasking
Time Management and Multi-tasking
Time management and multi-tasking have become an important part of our modern lives. As technology develops, modern people have to deal with many things swiftly. As an English learner, I am always thinking of how I can manage time more efficiently. I've read many books about time management and how to do multi-tasking. I thought multi-tasking would be a key to accomplishing my goals. However, researchers from Stanford University reported that multi-taskers have trouble with focusing and are not at all efficient. I have to think about time management again and how I can achieve many of the goals I want to in my life.
Many people set goals. Learning second languages, exercising regularly, succeeding in their work and so on. Not all of us can achieve our goals. We have work to do, social activities, family members to take care of. "I am too busy to do that," becomes a good excuse for not doing things. I hate to say "I'm busy" because these words have a suggestive effect on us that makes us believe we are really too busy, which is not true in most cases.
I'm a multi-tasker, a considerably efficient one, I assume. I listen to English audio books to study English while driving, carry on two experiments at a time, and read and text while in the restroom. I feel guilty unless I'm doing more than two things at a time. It works well for me. I obtained professional qualifications and English proficiency in the past few years by handling two different tasks at a time . Above all, multi-tasking makes me feel great.
However, while ulti-tasking seems the most efficient method for time management, a report from Stanford University said that heavy media multi-taskers performed worse on a test of task-switching ability. They had difficulty in filtering out irrelevant tasks.
I doubted the result at first. Maybe it is due to the lack of innate abilities or not considering gender differences. Female are generally considered to be good at multi-tasking. Yet, there is one thing that rings a bell in my mind. "Lack of concentration" has been a problem for me. I'm not good at concentrating on one thing. I can't stand waiting for one project to finish. That's why I want to handle more than two things at once. I always compulsively move from one task to another . There are lots of unfinished tasks on my to-do list. This does not mean multi-tasking can help me finish all my tasks efficiently.
Sometimes multi-tasking is just like juggling balls, although it seems competent and efficient. I have to be careful about what I am doing now and not fall into self-satisfaction with only the multi-tasking feeling. Switching multi-tasking to uni-tasking will be a good way to handle things, although it seems like "multi-tasking" in a way.
Time management and multi-tasking have become an important part of our modern lives. As technology develops, modern people have to deal with many things swiftly. As an English learner, I am always thinking of how I can manage time more efficiently. I've read many books about time management and how to do multi-tasking. I thought multi-tasking would be a key to accomplishing my goals. However, researchers from Stanford University reported that multi-taskers have trouble with focusing and are not at all efficient. I have to think about time management again and how I can achieve many of the goals I want to in my life.
Many people set goals. Learning second languages, exercising regularly, succeeding in their work and so on. Not all of us can achieve our goals. We have work to do, social activities, family members to take care of. "I am too busy to do that," becomes a good excuse for not doing things. I hate to say "I'm busy" because these words have a suggestive effect on us that makes us believe we are really too busy, which is not true in most cases.
I'm a multi-tasker, a considerably efficient one, I assume. I listen to English audio books to study English while driving, carry on two experiments at a time, and read and text while in the restroom. I feel guilty unless I'm doing more than two things at a time. It works well for me. I obtained professional qualifications and English proficiency in the past few years by handling two different tasks at a time . Above all, multi-tasking makes me feel great.
However, while ulti-tasking seems the most efficient method for time management, a report from Stanford University said that heavy media multi-taskers performed worse on a test of task-switching ability. They had difficulty in filtering out irrelevant tasks.
I doubted the result at first. Maybe it is due to the lack of innate abilities or not considering gender differences. Female are generally considered to be good at multi-tasking. Yet, there is one thing that rings a bell in my mind. "Lack of concentration" has been a problem for me. I'm not good at concentrating on one thing. I can't stand waiting for one project to finish. That's why I want to handle more than two things at once. I always compulsively move from one task to another . There are lots of unfinished tasks on my to-do list. This does not mean multi-tasking can help me finish all my tasks efficiently.
Sometimes multi-tasking is just like juggling balls, although it seems competent and efficient. I have to be careful about what I am doing now and not fall into self-satisfaction with only the multi-tasking feeling. Switching multi-tasking to uni-tasking will be a good way to handle things, although it seems like "multi-tasking" in a way.
Kindle
An international version of Kindle was released in October. I pre-ordered it as soon as I had heard the news. I had been waiting for the Kindle for a long time.
When I started to read English books several years ago, I searched e-book devices. There were some Japanese e-book reader devices, but there were not so many e-books available at that time. Kindle seemed the best device, though it wasn't available in Japan.
There are several merits to having a Kindle. The advantage which I appreciate the most is price and portability. New books are expensive and heavy in hardcover versions. The e-book versions are much cheaper and the portability is exceptionally good. Although Kindle itself costs 25,000 yen, it will save money for keen readers when they buy many books via Kindle.
In addition to that, downloading books via 3G network is convenient for people who live in rural areas. There are not so many English books available in Kagoshima City. I had to order them by internet, but postage was wasteful. Besides, every time I order books online, the packing boxes and delivery damages the environment. I felt guilty about that. Now I can choose many books via Kindle and I don't have to worry about postage and the environment.
The disadvantage of Kindle is that it only sells English books now. An article said Amazon will try to sell Japanese books for Kindle in the future, although there are some difficulties to overcome. Japanese has many Chinese characters which is more difficult for computers to process. Also, there are more than 2,000 publishers compared to America which has five or six major publishers to work with. It is tiresome for e-book publishers to negotiate with so many companies to collect a lot of content.
The Japanese e-book market has increased in sales by 31% last year. Most of the profits were made by cell phone users. If Kindle succeeds in making Japanese contents, the Japanese e-book market will be more lively. I hope I can read both English books and Japanese books on my Kindle in the near future.
When I started to read English books several years ago, I searched e-book devices. There were some Japanese e-book reader devices, but there were not so many e-books available at that time. Kindle seemed the best device, though it wasn't available in Japan.
There are several merits to having a Kindle. The advantage which I appreciate the most is price and portability. New books are expensive and heavy in hardcover versions. The e-book versions are much cheaper and the portability is exceptionally good. Although Kindle itself costs 25,000 yen, it will save money for keen readers when they buy many books via Kindle.
In addition to that, downloading books via 3G network is convenient for people who live in rural areas. There are not so many English books available in Kagoshima City. I had to order them by internet, but postage was wasteful. Besides, every time I order books online, the packing boxes and delivery damages the environment. I felt guilty about that. Now I can choose many books via Kindle and I don't have to worry about postage and the environment.
The disadvantage of Kindle is that it only sells English books now. An article said Amazon will try to sell Japanese books for Kindle in the future, although there are some difficulties to overcome. Japanese has many Chinese characters which is more difficult for computers to process. Also, there are more than 2,000 publishers compared to America which has five or six major publishers to work with. It is tiresome for e-book publishers to negotiate with so many companies to collect a lot of content.
The Japanese e-book market has increased in sales by 31% last year. Most of the profits were made by cell phone users. If Kindle succeeds in making Japanese contents, the Japanese e-book market will be more lively. I hope I can read both English books and Japanese books on my Kindle in the near future.
Ladies Only Train Cars
Ladies only train cars enjoy high popularity among Japanese women. They date back to 1912 when women and men were not supposed to be in the same place in public. However the ladies only train cars were abolished after a short period.
The ladies only train cars were then reintroduced in 2001 to protect women from molestation. Although there is controversy as to whether it is discrimination against men or not, 78% of people approve of it. I think ladies only cars is a good idea for several reasons.
I once lived in Tokyo and had to commute by Yamanote line during rush-hour. It was horrible. There were far too many people in too small a space. Passengers are packed, squeezed, and squashed in by new passengers flooding into the train at every next station. It was inevitable to be touched by others. I felt uncomfortable standing so close to men. There is the molestation problem too. Japanese women tend to endure molestation without calling for help, becausee they are ashamed of themselves being molested, or don't want to be considered overreacted by calling help. The ladies only train car would protect these women from molesters.
Ladies only train cars are good for men too. Many men are afraid of being misunderstood for a molester. Punishment for molesters is up to six months of imprisonment or 500,000 yen in penalty. It is difficult to exonerate the wrongfully accused person.These days, men raise their hands in crowded commute trains to avoid being misunderstood for a molester. Ladies only car trains save men from this tiring self-protection from women.
However, after ladies only train cars were introduced, molester cases shot up threefold. Is it because men are encouraged to molest women in unisex train cars? It is unlikely. In any case, the number of women who report molestation cases to police are increasing.
In conclusion, ladies only train cars are helpful for both men and women. It protects women from being molested and men from being wrongly accused of molesting. This system did not thrive in the past for some reason, but it should survive this time.
10月のLingQディスカッションで話したことのまとめです。
Summer Vacation
I really appreciate summer vacation this year because there was no vacation at all last year. I was a new member of my lab last year. A senior member of the lab said he wouldn't take summer vacation and that he hadn't had a summer vacation in six years. He seemed proud of himself for working so hard without vacations. Other members didn't take summer vacations either. He didn't ban anyone from taking vacations, but this is typical Japanese behavior. If a boss or a senior member doesn't take a summer vacation themselves, junior members tend to be afraid of being considered lazy by taking vacations.
As my senior lab member got transferred this year, all the remaining members happily enjoyed summer vacation. I'm going to Calgary in Canada at the end of this month. As I've never experienced cold weather, I'm looking forward to visiting the Columbia Icefield.
As my senior lab member got transferred this year, all the remaining members happily enjoyed summer vacation. I'm going to Calgary in Canada at the end of this month. As I've never experienced cold weather, I'm looking forward to visiting the Columbia Icefield.
Mid-semester
The second school semester has started today. Although summer vacation and semesters have nothing to do with adults, I always feel like starting anew on September 1st.
I participated in an English on-line group called the "Virtual English Club" this summer. Nearly 30 English learners gathered on line and established goals for this summer. My goal was to write more than ten English essays and diary entries from 7/21 to 8/31. I managed to write ten essays and diary entries during this summer. I had homework for the first time in 16 years, and it felt good!
I used to be a great procrastinator when I was a student. One of the reasons I could manage to fulfill my goal was I had friends whom I could study with. We actually didn't study together, but we reported what we did during each week on a bulletin board. This helped me a lot. We encouraged and inspired each other to study more.
I also realised that I had been craving homework. It is difficult for me to study without any deadlines. It would be a good idea to give assignments to myself, the point being that the assignments would not be given or forced. Making short term goals would be good for English study as it doesn't seem to have goals.
