In Praise of Toggling: Or How Multitasking Isn’t (Necessarily) a Creative Sin

So… toggling. Have you heard of it? I had a client use it the other day and though I didn’t immediately know what it meant, through context I realized it’s a new word for “multi-tasking,” specifically that high-tech brand of multi-tasking we do when we’re constantly switching, or “toggling” as she called it, from screen to screen.

I do this all day long. I’ll have an open document, write for a few paragraphs, find a breakaway point and quick go check my Twitter feed, or “like” something on Facebook or check my ranking on Amazon.com or Goodreads or how many folks have downloaded Zombies Don’t Surfover at Smashwords.

I used to feel really guilty about it, until I realized that stepping away from the document in question every 15-20 minutes or so really helped me see it with a new pair of eyes when I finally did return my full attention to it after “toggling” away for a few minutes.

Sometimes I’ll toggle away from a document and, when I come back and find my place, I’ll see that a better word would work for one I just used, or I’ll see a glaring typo that I hadn’t noticed before, or simply see a new thread or tangent to take off on, something that generally improves the piece of writing.

Oftentimes I’ll come back, read a sentence or a paragraph and immediately think of a great subtitle to use for that section, or a new section break, or some other revelation that I might not have had if I hadn’t
“stepped away” for a moment.

So when it comes to toggling, here are a few tips that help me make the most use of my multi-tasking ways:

·        Less is more: I have to kind of limit my toggling because the more it helps my writing, the more often I’ll be tempted to do it! Realistically, I try to limit my toggling to twice an hour, generally at the top of an hour and at the half-hour mark.

·        Keep it simple: When I toggle it’s for really simple, uninvolved things, like checking my Twitter or Facebook pages or some simple blog stats or Goodreads reviews. For more intense stuff, like posting a blog entry or commenting on someone else’s blog post or using a forum, toggling isn’t as effective.

·        “Free” toggle time: Sometimes you just have to toggle like crazy! I find that if I have “free” toggle time, like during my lunch break or after an afternoon workout or in the evening just before/after dinner, it’s less tempting to toggle during workaday hours.

·        Know your limits: Even though I find toggling beneficial, for the most part, even I have my limits. If something’s on deadline, for instance, or it’s a final draft and I have to bring my A-game, I’ll straight-up logoff and just focus on the document at hand. (Until it’s “free toggle time,” that is!)

So, do you toggle? How often? Do you think it helps? Or hurts? I’m eager to hear your opinions in the comment boxes…

Yours in YA,

Rusty