Super-Busy? Stop Doing This!
It’s the time of year for things to be “busy”. With the holiday season approaching, and the end of the year in sight, there is so much going on, so much to get done and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. It’s the nature of the holiday season, amplified by the looming deadline of “year’s end”. I accept that, even as the very word, “busy” has me grind my teeth a bit.
That being said, what I’ve noticed is that there is this strategy that so many employ in an effort to deal with the busy-ness, and this strategy is actually self-defeating. Moreover, it’s a misnomer – it’s not actually possible in the purest sense that’s implied.
The strategy in question is that of “multi-tasking.”
The term has an allure and appeal to it, no doubt. When you’re busy, how cool is it to be able to do more than one thing at a time, in an effort to get it all done? Very cool, right? The problem is that it’s not actually doable. In concrete terms, your brain, your mind, can actually only focus on one thing at a time and, by extension, you can in fact only do one thing at a time. As a result, any time you try to multi- task, you dilute your energy, you dilute your focus, and you dilute your effectiveness.
Let me say that again, so it really sinks in: when you attempt to multi-task, you dilute your energy, you dilute your focus, and you dilute your effectiveness.
Do you really want your impact and efforts to be diluted? I’m guessing not. I’m guessing that you want to be as powerfully impactful as possible. Which means that it’s time to ditch the multi-tasking paradigm.
So, what’s the alternative?
When faced with a myriad of things that require your attention, choose a laser focus. Don’t multi-task; single-task instead.
Single-tasking is about thinking and focusing in terms of ONE.
One breath at a time, one task at a time one step at a time. That’s all that can be done and, indeed, it is the only way to get everything done.
Admittedly, this requires you to slow the heck down. Set structures and systems up that will minimize distractions. Close your email while you’re working on a project or in a meeting. Similarly, put your phone away when you’re supposed to be working on a specific task. Carve out a schedule where you allow yourself to connect with others at particular times. Maybe you check email once every hour for 10 minutes. Or twice a day. Maybe you give yourself permission, as it were, to deal with all communication -- respond to messages and such -- before and after a particular meeting or project is done, rather than during. Essentially, keep your mind on the task at hand, knowing that the other tasks will have your undivided attention when this task is done.
Bottom-line: let go of the notion that you can -- or should -- do everything at the same time. Yes, you can do it all (whatever “it all” is). However, you can only do it all by narrowing your focus. Let go of the need, the desire, to multi-task. Single-task instead, and notice how much more you accomplish.