#35 Going From Multitasker to Monotasker

When you hear unemployed people talk, they remember themselves as having been super efficient worker bees when they had jobs. They’ll boast about how they were able to juggle multiple tasks at once, manage to meet all sorts of crazy deadlines, and still make it home in time for dinner. These types of unemployed people were all stress all the time, but had the types of personalities that were driven by pressure. 

Their first couple of weeks of unemployment were super agonizing. They would go off in tirades about the inefficiencies of the Unemployment Insurance system and complain about how they could do a better job than any one of those government employees. After evaluating the situation at home, they would give themselves little projects to reorganize and finally fix up all those things that have been ignored for months. They were, in essence, super competent and efficient unemployed folk. 

However, by the time they finally got their first unemployment check and were repeatedly rejected from potential jobs, the once productive unemployed folk became dejected, sullen, and took on the attitude of “Why bother?” Instead of waking early to make breakfast, read the paper, and scope out jobs, they took to languishing about, unable to muster up the energy to do anything. Half finished projects were left in messes around the house. 

Once competent enough to participate in a conference call while writing emails and jotting down a lunch order, the unemployed quickly slip into the realm of barely being capable of getting out of bed. Every task becomes trying, and the unemployed become quickly defeated. Instead of being expected to accomplish “simple” tasks such as laundry and grocery shopping, the unemployed find themselves choosing between which one they feel can actually be completed that day. Sometimes, nothing happens as sleep or playing video games on the couch become priorities. 

The unemployed don’t kid themselves when it comes to having a productive day. They’ll likely set out on having one goal, and if they accomplish it, they’re proud. If not, there’s always tomorrow. When nagging begins with, “Do you remember when you were able to do everything at once?” they’re quick to snap back with, “Do you remember when I was paid to do that?” and pull the covers over their head. That completes the official transition from multitasker to monotasker and the idea of workplace efficiency becomes a distant memory of the past.

Tags: change, letting yourself go, multitasker to monotasker