The Big Lie of Multi-Tasking

The Big Lie of Multi-Tasking

June 8, 2017 in Leaders Tips Videos
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Multi-tasking actually slows you down; here’s a better way to get things done…

 

 

If you are like most people, you probably feel pretty busy. I doubt very much that you got up this morning and said: “I wonder what I’m going to do with all my extra time?” You probably feel very busy and often feel like there is more to do than there is time to get it done.

One of the ways we try to attack that is trying to multitask, do two or three things at one. Like talk on the phone and while we are reading an article and cleaning up the kitchen, and we think we get more done faster that way. The problem is that multitasking is a great way to look busy, while we actually get less done. It’s a fallacy, it doesn’t really work.

See, your brain cannot focus on two things at once, so what we call “multitasking” is really just “task-switching”. Our brain is switching focus from one thing to another, back and forth, back and forth. The problem is every time we do that, it takes our brain a second or two to reconnect with the information flow with either one of those projects or tasks. So we are actually losing time and becoming inefficient.

The other thing that happens is the likelihood of making a mistake increases. One study showed that people lowered their productivity by up to 40%, just because of the increase in the number of mistakes. So we end up working slower, and more poorly. Multitasking doesn’t work. If you want to get more done, in less time, the key is to learn how to concentrate.

To learn how to focus your attention, minute by minute on just one thing. Peak performers in any field have learned this, they concentrate all their energy on one task, whatever the task at hand is, and when they finish it, they go on to the next thing. Concentrate, focus, put all their energy into that one thing, and when they finish that one, go on to the next. They don’t go back and forth, back and forth between things, because like I said, things take longer and your quality is lower.

So if you want to get things done faster, and with better quality, learn how to concentrate. Learn how to focus your energy and focus your attention, put all your attention on one thing until it is done. And the final benefit of that is that over time your stress level will go down. You won’t live with this constant sense of “I’ve got too much to do, I’ve got too much to do!” because you are actually going to be getting that stuff done regularly, consistently.

Your stress level will go down, and your ability to enjoy life and enjoy what you do will go up. It’s a win-win all the way around. So try it! Forget the multitasking, learn how to focus.

And do me a favor, if this tip was helpful, will you give us a like, a share or leave me a comment on it, I’d love to get your feedback and get the word out about what we are doing. Thanks so much, have a great week.

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