Stop Multitasking and Start Getting More Done

Like many of us, I have always taken pride in the fact that I could multitask. As a matter of fact, I had that listed on my last resume as one of my strengths. Silly me! I drew attention to the fact that I could quite easily work on several projects at the same time, giving them all the same level of neglect while taking longer to accomplish them, resulting in consistently mediocre work.

Don't get me wrong. I don't dispute the fact that we can talk on the phone while we wash dishes, or walk the dog, or sort laundry. It's easy to do two things simultaneously that are routine and don't require focus or emotional involvement. But many of the tasks in our lives deserve and need our undivided attention.

When you multitask, you aren't doing two things at once; you're actually rapidly shifting attention from one task to another, back and forth, back and forth, like when you're preparing a proposal and you have to keep stopping to answer your phone.

When you shift tasks, you also shift mindsets, so to speak, which takes time. And if you are shifting tasks frequently, you usually keep yourself poised for the next interruption, never fully engaging in the task at hand. In other words, not giving it your full effort. And let's not even talk about how exhausting multitasking can be. That's a whole other post.

Since most jobs don't allow you to turn off your phone and shut down your email while you work on a project, you need a strategy that allows for those interruptions. I've found it helpful to break a large project into small, bite-sized steps and focus on only one step at a time. Each step usually only takes about 20-30 minutes to complete, time enough before the phone rings again. And before I know it, the project is done, without feeling like I've been in a game of ping-pong.

Thankfully, I can say that today I am a recovering multitasker. I still struggle with overwhelm sometimes and the urge to start numerous projects at once, but with my solid system in place, I can quickly focus and accomplish a lot more in less time.