This is a great article on multitasking. For years, while working for corporate America, the one question that always seemed to be asked during interviews was “Are you a multitasker?” or “Can you multitask?” I have always disliked this term because you simply cannot devote 100% to more than one task at a time. For example, you have several projects on your plate - Project A, B, & C. This of course doesn’t include the daily tasks in which you are responsible like email, phone calls, etc. If you’re working on Project A, then stop to work on Project B for a while, then again on Project C, nothing is getting done and all you have are partially finished projects. This causes other issues as well because when you have to return to a project, time is wasted because you have to set aside the task you’re working on, gather information for another task again, and figure out where you left off and what still needs to be done.
In addition, from my experience, almost every task I worked on hindered someone else doing their job so until I finish Project A completely, there was someone else who couldn’t get their job done because they needed that information or that phase to be completed.

You can certainly manage multiple projects at one time by prioritizing them and working on them effectively by getting the job finished which is much more productive that skipping around from project to project. Enjoy the article!

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Do you wear the term ‘multitasking’ like a badge of honor? Do you, with great pride, brag to your friends and coworkers that you can manage more tasks at once than an octopus? Are you convinced that you are much more efficient doing 2 or more things at once? I’m here to tell you that multitasking is a big fat LIE! Multitasking does not help us get more things done; in fact it reduces our productivity and efficiency and increases stress.

Corporate and social culture has created multitasking as a norm. With many companies doing more with less, and business owners having to straddle multiple personal and professional roles, there is a certain expectation to get it all done and be responsive to every beep and ring tone that demands your attention. As wonderful as communications technology has become, it has created the side effect of tremendous distraction.

Recent research has shown that when we switch from one task to another there is a lag in our brain’s ability to catch up to what we are doing next. Our brain requires time and energy to move from one task to another. So, when you are working on a project and are interrupted by a ringing phone or beeping email, your brain needs a bit of time to reorient to focus on the project. You actually take longer to complete your project because the time it takes to refocus your brain adds to the completion time.

Additionally, research indicates that habitual multitasking can actually increase stress. This happens because your perceived control, or the feeling of how much control you have in your world, diminishes. The other way that stress increases is that continued multitasking trains your brain to pay attention to distractions both inside and outside yourself, so it becomes naturally harder for you to focus. Less feeling of control and difficulty focusing on tasks = more stress. And who wants more stress?

The simple answer to the multitasking lie is to simply do one thing at a time. But how possibly can you do that when you’re juggling a big job, kids, and an attempt at a personal life? It’s all about shifting yourself away from the ‘shiny object syndrome’ of following that which captures your attention in the moment, towards a bit more structure. Here’s how you do that.

Create Rules for Your Time
Those people who are successful at managing their time know that they can’t follow the shiny object through their day and be effective and productive. Create times in your day when you are to be undisturbed. Train those around you, close your door, avoid distractions. Are you going to check email periodically, or in real time? How will you handle returning phone calls? These rules are different for different works styles. Create ones that work for you and then do them.

Know Your Priorities
I believe everyone should have 2 particular lists – the master list that changes regularly and has all necessary tasks on it, and the daily list, which has the top 3-5 to items. Knowing what your priority is for the day allows you to resist the distractions and shiny objects and focus more readily on what needs to happen. It increases your perceived control and helps you to become more efficient.

Know Your Focus Periods and Energy Times
When are you sharp during the day? When is your concentration at its highest? When do you have a slump and feel like taking a nap? Knowing these aspects of your personal productivity will help you to schedule tasks more easily. Most people have more ability to attend to detail in the morning and need toothpicks to keep their eyes open in mid afternoon. It would make sense to schedule focused project time in the morning then, and catch up on emails or calls in the afternoon.

Turn Off Beeps and Ringers
If you’re trained like Pavlov’s dogs to respond to any ringing object, like a phone, Blackberry, or incoming email, then you definitely need to turn the sound off. Disable the sound when you are in a focus period or project time and resist the trained urge to check your incoming messages for a while.

With these four steps you can begin to reclaim your feelings of control and efficiency, actually get more things done more completely, and decrease your stress. Now, where’s your ‘Multitasking is a LIE’ bumper sticker?

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Life Coach Catherine Bruns coaches women to achieve great success in their personal and professional lives. For more information visit www.coachbalance.com