The Truth Behind Multitasking

“We can’t control time, only how we spend it. Invest wisely.”

—Unknown

Do you pride yourself on being a great multi-tasker? Do you feel accomplished when you “get so much done”? Beware, according to the American Psychology Association, constant multitasking can lead to a 40% loss of productivity.  That’s 16 hours a week in lost time and productivity. Wouldn’t you love to have an additional 2-3 hours a day build your business, increase your earning, and reach your goals?  Eliminating, or at least reducing multitasking, can give you that time, improve your overall concentration and even your cognitive memory.

The human brain is wired to perform a single task at a time.  In fact, only 2% of the population can perform multiple tasks successfully without any loss of productivity.  This means for most of us; multitasking is a myth.  In reality, our brain is switching back and forth between activities very rapidly, which works well for us when tackling familiar and straightforward tasks like straightening up your desk while listening to a podcast.  When used for more complex work like responding to clients or accounting, switching tasks actually cuts into your overall productivity. Moving between tasks or trying to give attention to multiple demands leads to loss of time, a decrease in quality, and an increase in errors.  Ultimately your efforts result in two mediocre outcomes, preventing you from doing any one thing with stellar results.  

The challenge is, today’s popular culture rewards ‘busy,’ commends juggling and checking off the to-do list. Today’s technology practically demands a certain level of task to keep up with everyday communication.  As you read this, what other ‘tasking’ are you tackling.  How many tabs are open on your computer?  Are you anticipating a response to an active text conversation?  Are your social media apps and email lurking in the background just waiting to steal your focus with a familiar ‘ding’?  It’s no wonder, the most common complaints among conscientious professionals consist of lack of focus, difficulty following through, and a general sense of being overwhelmed without results.

Successful, high performing professionals are moving away from this frantic method of managing time and shifting to efficient, high output, single-tasking. Top producers have discovered the key to increased productivity is in ‘the flow.’ The flow takes place when people can focus for extended periods on a single task or effort such as marketing, working on a project, or improving processes, which ultimately leads to super-productivity.  What great athletes might refer to as being ‘in the zone.’ 

There are 4 critical elements to achieving the flow.

One 
Protect Your Time:
Schedule blocks of dedicated time in your calendar to focus on essential tasks such as answering emails or prospecting, working on a project or updating your marketing tools.

Two
Insist On Attention:  
Turn off anything that will cause an interruption, including electronic notifications from email, apps or smartwatches.  Use do not disturb functions, close your door and let people know when you need time to focus.

Three
Commit To A Priority:
Choose a priority every single day, a task or point of focus that will ensure progress toward something meaningful.  And if the day gets crazy, a single priority means there is no question about what takes precedence and what you can put off until tomorrow.

Four
Fortify Your Brain:  
Schedule breaks to renew your energy and refresh your brain for continued focus.  Make time to eat healthy and drink water throughout the day.  Take a walk or meditate for 10 minutes between long periods of concentration to clear out the cobwebs and start with a clean slate for the next important task.

If you have trouble committing to all four elements, start with one.  Every effort you make to reduce multitasking increases your productivity and overall effectiveness.