How multitasking is slowing you down!
“A person who is interrupted while performing a task takes 50% more time to complete it and make 50% more errors.”
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It doesn’t matter how much we practise multitasking, multitasking is not going to make you more productive, Why? Because it’s a myth, let me explain.
There is no such thing as multitasking. Studies show that the brain can only perform one task at a time.
The people who claim to be good multitaskers are just good at switching between tasks.
Alternatively, are they?
It seems that quick switchers aren’t good at switching, in fact, more often than not, they’re just doing two tasks poorly, compared to doing those two tasks separately.
One big problem with multitasking is that it takes longer – every time we try to get back into the task at hand we have to re-shift all our focus, which uses up precious energy.
The cost of people trying to multitask can be huge, even resulting in death.
As has been the case in many accidents on the roads with drivers switching focus ., This is why using your phone while driving is banned.
Most businesses suffer from not teaching this to employees that seem busy and feel busy.
Imagine the results that we would accomplish if everyone stopped trying to multitask.
The optimum state for productivity is the ‘flow state’ or being in the ‘zone’, which means concentrating on one thing at a time with complete focused attention.
Imagine a top athlete on top of their game.
It’s important to train our minds to enter this state if we want to achieve optimum performance, but to do this takes practice. One great way to practice is to meditate where the idea is to let thoughts come but not to be sidetracked by them and to keep bringing the mind back to one point in the body or the breathing.
If external issues are stopping you from getting into a focused state, then see if you can find a way to eliminate the distraction. Perhaps turn off your phone notifications, wear ear-plugs or time block emails.
Craving junk food can be a distraction, try eating more plant-based whole foods and weaken the cravings.
Be sure to have spare time in the day for when things go wrong.
I used to book out projects, one after the other, which was fine if everything went to plan; but when issues came up, which they always seemed to, then it meant working in a stressed-out environment, often not achieving the most significant results that we would have if we weren’t rushing.
I now leave good size time buffers in between projects which have eliminated stress. It has 
also meant that when these breaks come up, we can complete the less urgent or long-term projects that we have running.
It’s never wasted time. It’s on these quiet days that some of my most significant breakthroughs have taken place.
The value to our health and businesses, of taking time out to re-energise, is often overlooked by a confused mind switching from task to task.
It’s in this results-driven culture, where being busy is too often worn like a badge of honour that we often lose sight of what’s essential for long-term success.
“Juggling is an illusion. … In reality, the balls are being independently caught and thrown in rapid succession. … It is actually task switching.”
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