For this exercise, I tracked my habit to multitask and struggle with sustained focus over the course of three days: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I logged my behavior at 30-minute intervals, noting what I was doing and whether I was focusing on a single task or juggling multiple tasks at once. I chose this interval because it was frequent enough to capture moments of distraction without being so intrusive that it disrupted my day.
I chose to track multitasking because it is a behavior I have been increasingly aware of, especially during classes and trying to work on assignments. I often feel busy throughout the day, yet I end many days feeling like I did not make meaningful progress on the tasks that actually require deep thinking.
Logging the behavior was more revealing than I expected. Initially, it felt tedious to pause every 30 minutes and write things down, but I got used to it as time went on. I started noticing how often I was technically “working” while simultaneously responding to messages, scrolling, switching music, or mentally planning other tasks. I was especially surprised by how frequently multitasking occurred during transition periods, such as meals, commuting, after workouts, or right before starting homework. These moments felt low-stakes, but they consistently set the tone for low focus afterward.
One of my biggest learnings was that multitasking was not random. It followed clear patterns tied to anxiety, visibility of unfinished tasks, and constant access to apps (canvas, outlook, gmail, etc.). I also realized that I often justified multitasking as being efficient, even when it was clearly slowing me down.
Model 1: Connection Circle
One of the strongest relationships I observed in my connection circle was between having many apps open and high notification volume. When multiple apps and tabs are visible, notifications feel more urgent and harder to ignore, especially during transition periods. This visibility makes me want to “quickly” respond or cross something off my to-do list, which immediately pulls my attention away from the task I intended to focus on.
Another key connection is between my desire to make my day efficient and anxiety about speed. I noticed that I often feel like I am not completing things fast enough, even when there is no real deadline pressure. This anxiety creates a desire to make every minute feel productive, which leads me to multitask on small, low-effort tasks instead of starting work that requires deeper concentration. As a result, I procrastinate on meaningful work while convincing myself I am being efficient.
The most important insight from the connection circle is that multitasking is not caused by poor time management alone. It is driven by the rewards and dopamine I get from responsiveness, speed, and constant engagement.
Model 2: Iceberg Model
The iceberg model helped me separate what I could easily observe from what was actually driving my behavior. Some patterns I noticed were that multitasking spiked during transition periods and unstructured time. It also appeared most often when I was working alone and avoiding work by looking for distractions to work on.
At the mental models level, the most important belief I uncovered is that I believe doing things faster means I am being more efficient. I equate speed with productivity, even when that speed comes at the cost of quality and depth. This belief pushes me to fill every moment with activity, making it hard to focus on a single task. The key insight from the iceberg model is that multitasking is reinforced by how I define efficiency.
Closing Reflection
If I were to repeat this exercise, I would track for a longer period, ideally a full week, to capture differences between weekdays and weekends more clearly. I would also add a column to note my emotional state, such as stress or urgency, since those feelings played a major role in my behavior but were not always explicit in the log itself. Together, the connection circle and iceberg model made it clear that multitasking is a system-level issue shaped by my environment, routines, and beliefs.
