Jake doesn't have MONO

I thought that this particular TEDTalk was interesting. I never really thought of myself of being a monotasker.  I am always on the go, or I always have somewhere to be. To be honest, I am struggling to find a time that I monotask. One  thing that I do on a regular basis that might be considered monotasking is brushing my teeth. Even that is a stretch because I brush my teeth in the shower most of the time.

This trip to the sink, the only task that I was working on was brushing my teeth. I could have done a number of other things while brushing my teeth, but my focus was solely on getting the job done, and doing the job right. There were quite a few distractions that I encountered while brushing my teeth. First off, one of my good friends walked in while I was patiently trying to accomplish the task at hand. He had a crazy story to tell me and it immediately distracted me. I was so focused on what he had to say that I lost my form in my brushing stroke. I had to refocus. He finally left, and I had completely forgot that I had a brush in my hand. By then, the brush was all dry and hard. I had to start all over.

            I honestly think that I am incapable of doing one thing at a time. In the world we live in today, multitasking is a desired attribute to a person or even a product. Everything these days are faster and more productive. Like he was saying in this video, sometimes those do not go hand in hand. I honestly feel that I work better while doing multiple things at a time. I do not have much experience with monotasking but I think that it is a good practice to take into the library and use it while studying. That is the takeaway that I gleaned from this video. Hopefully I will see a drastic  increase in grades while monotasking in the library.

           

Emily Griffin Monotasking

I was very interested in this TED talk and what Paolo Cardini had to say on multitasking and monotasking. I have never thought about the term monotasking before and I find the concept extremely interesting. After taking the time to sit back and think about all of the distractions in my life I agree with Cardini’s ideas. Although multitasking can be a very efficient tool sometimes, we could definitely be more productive throughout the day if we did away with all of the distractions. I know that if I turned my phone off and did not allow myself to look Facebook when writing an essay, I could finish it in half the time. After watching Cardini’s TED talk I attempted to monotask by sitting down and simply listening to a song on my iPod. In just those short three to four minutes my phone went off, my roommate came in the room, and I had the urge to check facebook. I think that with so many distractions available it is very difficult to eliminate them all. It is hard to just focus on one thing and not worry about anything else. For me unless I am asleep, I am constantly thinking about more than one thing at a time. I think that the activity determines how many distractions there are. For example, in class when I am bored I always catch myself checking my phone or looking at Facebook. However, when I am doing something I enjoy, like horse back riding, there a little to no distractions. I think that the world today is in such a rush, that no one thinks they have the time to only focus on one task. If people slowed down and applied the concept of monotasking more, they would be able to live a more productive, relaxed, and meaningful life.

Multitasking v. Monotasking -Seth Rhoden

I was very intrigued by the TED talk on multitasking vs. mono tasking. I myself am an ardent believer in being able to multitask and be responsible for many different things going on at once. However, Paolo presented some interesting points in his talk and some that I think should be taken to heart by us today. One area I definitely struggle with multitasking is honestly a place that I shouldn't be trying to multitask in. Whenever I am sitting at home doing homework, I'll have whatever I'm working on in front of me. Along with what I'm supposed to be working on, I'll have my phone (talking to 2 or 3 people most likely), my iTunes open and the headphones in, my Facebook and Twitter feeds rolling (because honestly we all know they are more interesting to read than our textbooks), and many other distractions along with those. In fact, music is playing right now while I'm typing and I just replied to a text. See? So for my task I decided to turn off the music and put the phone away so that I could finish writing this blog assignment for Ms. Mahoney. It definitely isn't easy to eliminate those distractions because I am a huge lover of music and enjoy listening to it while I do pretty much anything. From a productivity standpoint I think that there is a huge increase in how productive you CAN be without those distractions. The extra tasks I usually do alongside homework can be done also but they severely inhibit the productivity of something you are working on because for example in the five minutes you take reading Facebook posts, you could've been another paragraph or a few more problems along in your work. Now I do believe that multitasking is definitely a necessity in some areas. Anyone who is in charge of a company or responsible for many areas of an organization obviously needs to have good multitasking skills because without them they wouldn't succeed in those areas.

monotasking

The thoughts that Paolo Cardini provoked in my mind during this video were not only about his mustache and fashionable jean shirt… but also about the last time I have a conversation with someone where I only focused on what they were saying and did not check the time, my phone, or allow my mind to wander. Not only in conversations but also in various other daily activities I always have a hard time focusing on one task because it seems more efficient to do multiple things at once. I practice yoga on a regular basis, and one of the skills almost every teacher emphasizes in the beginning of class is clearing your mind and focusing only on class. The first couple of times I went it was hard for me not to look at my phone, and I would even catch myself checking my texts during a downward dog every once and awhile. Eliminating the outside world for even for just an hour seems like a struggle, especially this day in age when I can access almost anything from my iPhone. At first I always found myself wishing I could check my Twitter or Facebook newsfeed, but after a couple of minutes I forget all about the world and am totally focused. Sometimes I find myself wondering what my friends were doing or stressing about a homework assignment I knew I had to finish; it is always difficult to clear my mind. After a lot of practice, I no longer even bring my phone into the studio and I try and only think about what I am doing at that very moment. I think this concept is awesome and allows you to actually fully experience something and appreciate it, unlike when you are trying to multitask and only experiencing something partially. It is difficult for me to apply this technique to other activities because I am constantly thinking about what all I have to do in the day and how it would be simpler and more efficient to do multiple tasks at once. I think if I could apply this idea of “monotasking” to more aspects of my life I will be able to accomplish my daily tasks with more meaning.

prof pic

My profile picture was taken over winter break with a good friend of mine. The picture was taken using the camera on the computer, which implies that it was taken for fun. More serious pictures are generally taken by someone better able to capture their objects at good angles. The lighting is also extremely unfortunate and we both are obviously cheesing pretty hard. We are both dressed in clothes made for lounging and are sitting on a bed. If anything, the message being conveyed in this picture is that two dopey girls are bored out of their minds but looking for something to do.

My friend, Dani, is smiling with her teeth showing and her eyes slightly squinted. By her facial expression, you can automatically tell she loves to take pictures and is comfortable when taking pictures randomly and with no prior beautification done beforehand. My face, on the other hand, is less amused. My mouth is formed into a reserved half smile and the rest of my face is without expression. This is because I was forced into a frenzy of awful pictures taken in my room without an aforementioned warning.  I was also holding a phone in the picture, showing that my full attention was not in taking these pictures.

If such a picture was taken at such an inconvenient time, and without the enthusiasm expected to be present at the taking of a future profile picture, why actually make it public for all to see? The real meaning behind the profile picture is that the girl beside me is one of my best friends and goes to college in Oregon. As awful this picture is, it is one of the only ones we have together and I want to be shown with one of the people I care most about. Profile pictures, in my opinion, should not be the best pictures you have of yourself, but one that means the most to you. 

Facebook Profile Picture

My facebook profile picture is a picture of me and my best friend Courtney during a vacation to Key West with her family during our senior spring break. I feel that my picture exemplifies us having a good time. By our smiles you can tell that we were enjoying ourselves. Our clothing and tans show that we were obviously in a warmer setting and our sunglasses also show that the sun was out and it was a very bright day. The picture shows that we are in a fun environment which would lead people to believe that I enjoy doing fun things with my friends. There are many people in the background, so we are in a crowded place with a lot of activity going on around us. The picture also shows that I enjoy being in sunny and warm places. I believe that the picture represents me as a person who values their friends highly and enjoys their company. I hold my friends close to my heart and consider them like family. Our clothing and the way that we are dressed also says a lot about who I am as an individual. I am wearing a black shirt and this represents the fact that my go-to color for clothing is black. The red shorts show that I enjoy wearing bright colors in small doses and that can also represent a little bit of spunk in my personality. The fact that I am wearing a watch shows how much that I value my watches and how I wear one every day, which leads to how important I feel that time is to me. My relaxed wavy hair would support the fact that I have a very relaxed and down to earth personality and attitude towards many things in my life. I believe that the way the picture portrays me is pretty much just how I am.

Ellie Mintz's Profile Picture

Normally people begin their facebook creep sessions by looking at the person’s profile pictures. I don’t know if people creep on me but I think mine gives a pretty good impression. This picture was taken before my sorority’s (Alpha Chi Omega) semiformal in November. This was obviously pre-semiformal since me and my boyfriend are still looking pretty put together and clean. I mean, everyone knows dances get kind of crazy right? I chose this picture because it captures a fun night with sisters and my boyfriend. I also chose this picture because it was the first more serious function I had to opportunity to attend. It was hard to choose a picture from that night to make my profile picture though since so many were taken. Anyway, the smiles on both of our faces clearly indicate we are happy or at least pretending to be. All the people around us show that the pre-party was considerably crowded and not easily maneuvered meaning it took a ton of skill to take this picture. I actually think Lex is the one who took this picture which means I was surrounded by my sorority sisters and friends. I think the sentimental value expressed in this picture can be seen by random facebook creepers too. Much like prom or homecoming in high school, semiformals and formals are looked forward to and get everyone excited. The rush of finding a date and getting dressed up is just too much to resist, even if the boys refuse to admit it. I think this appeals to people’s more reminiscent side and allows those that have already experienced college to remember what it was like to be in my shoes. It also gives those that have yet to experience college something to look forward to in the future. Overall, this picture is definitely one of my favorites and will probably stay as my profile picture for a little while longer.