Multitasking: How You’re Losing Hours Every Day!

One thing that most female entrepreneurs cannot afford to lose is time.

Time is a precious resource that once spent, we never get back.

We’re all trying to do more in less time.

We research and seek out the latest hacks and shortcuts to squeeze more out of each day but often we feel like we’re falling short as our projects and goals take longer and longer.

We’ve been deluded for many years thinking that multitasking is our competitive advantage as women.

We naturally gravitate towards doing many things at once – talking on the phone while doing the dishes or listening to a podcast while running errands.  I even blow dry my hair while checking email or reading a book on my phone.

These task are simple and mundane but when we’re doing the complicated tasks of running a business that’s when we run into serious trouble.

We think this crafty skill can translate from the simple task of our lives to the more complex tasks of our businesses hoping (praying!) that we can ultimately get more done.  Well that’s a lie!

When you add the distraction (and addiction) of technology to the mix you find that days can go by without actually getting anything done. Between obsessively checking your email and Facebook, popping over to Pinterest and Instagram then bouncing back to email … Noise, chatter, distractions.. oh wait, someone just texted me, hold on.

Yep – you get it!

During that hurricane of being uber connected – did you actually progress your goals forward?

Did you accomplish an important task towards your biggest priorities and dreams?

Do you feel accomplished and confident that you’re getting things – actual WORK – done?

We are literally losing hours of time each day by a skill we were applauded for naturally having! Urgh!

The Evils of Task Switching

Task switching, in particular, has become the bane of productivity.

Task switching, or mental juggling, is when you’re pounding away on a blog post when you suddenly decide you need to open your browser to look up a definition of word you want to use. You pull up your browser and your email is open so you do a quick scan to see if anything is important. You see a message that someone left you on your Facebook page and you decide to quickly respond to it. While on Facebook you see an article that looks interesting and you click on it. You skim it quickly and wonder who the author is so you go to their website. You decide you want to follow them on Twitter. Oh no, you haven’t checked your Twitter account today so next thing you know you’re on Twitter. You suddenly realize that you still have an unfinished blog post to write so you close the other windows and open back up your document. You sit and stare at the screen as you try to get back into the zone of writing. You continue to stare.

How much time did you lose? Too much!

We’ve all been there more times than we’d like to admit – on a daily basis no less!

Research has proven that task switching leads to lost time when we have to switch from one task to another. When tasks are more complex and complicated – the more time is lost!

Some estimates have stated that even brief mental blocks created by shifting tasks can cost as much as 40% of someone’s productive time.

Yes you read it right you’re losing at least 40% of your time to the madness of mental juggling!

By doing two things at once we’re not doing either very well. And when we jump back and forth between two tasks we slow ourselves down to a crawl!

And we wonder why we’re so overwhelmed and feel disappointed by our business progress.

So how do we put a stop to the madness?

1. Awareness

Awareness that you have a problem is key. I’ll start: “I’m Jenn and I’m a multi-tasker.” When you realize that you have this tendency you will be more able to observe when it happens and make swift changes when you find yourself down a rabbit hole.

2. Focus on the Ultimate Outcome Then Prioritize

Focus on figuring out the outcome of your project or goal for the next week, next month or 60 days (no longer than 90 days is suggested by most since we and our brains function better on tighter schedules). Then figure out the most important tasks right now to accomplish, focus on and finish. When you sit down you need a plan of intentional action and not just a long list of random to do’s.

3. Cut off Distractions

Clear off your desk. Close all your tabs. Turn off notifications. Place your phone in another room. Tell your family and friends not to disturb you. Lock the door. Limit all the distractions possible so you can fully and mindfully focus on the task at hand.

4. Set a Timer

If you know you’re only working for a specific time period on any one task or project you will be more apt to focus and finish. Set a timer and place it in another room. That way your brain knows you’re in a short sprint rather than a long arduous day-long marathon.

5. Keep a Notebook

Keep a notebook or piece of paper handy for when other ideas come to mind. You can quickly jot them down to save for later and then return to your project. That way you won’t feel like you need to act on them now – they have a place and time to be paid attention to later.

It’s too easy to get distracted by our noisy world and all the things we “should” be doing. But the most productive and successful people focus on what’s most important and see it through! Let’s all work smarter by saying goodbye to multitasking and hello to mindful, intentional focus!

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