Stop Multitasking from Killing Your Productivity
Do You Juggle too Much?
Some days I pride myself on my multi-tasking abilities. But some days I curse multi-tasking because I’ve become so adept at it that I now have trouble mono-tasking. I’m learning that while it can be good for a freelance writer to have the ability to manage multiple projects, there are times when it may be more advantageous to just do one thing at a time. Doing too many things at a time can kill your creativity, hurt your time management, and multi-tasking doesn’t always do as much as you think it does for productivity. In fact, when I do too much at a time, I not only get fewer things accomplished in a day but I feel frantic — which isn’t healthy.
Do you do too many things at a time?
- Do you check email constantly, even when you’re under the gun with a deadline? Turn it off. Especially outside of business hours. If you’re working late, make the time count and focus on the task at hand — so you can finish sooner.
- Do you feel compelled to answer the phone or IM chat to a client or colleague when you’re busy doing something? Turn it off. They can wait / go to voicemail / catch up with you later so you can focus on what’s most pressing. I don’t know about you but when I’m feeling the flow, interruptions really mess with the qmy ability to pick up where I left off.
- How many tabs and windows do you have open on your computer right now? Do you really need to be doing that many things at a time? (PS: Having 17 FF tabs open will slow your system down so it’s counterproductive, anyway.) I am a recovering alt+tab addict. While doing something, I alt+tab almost constantly to check on / do something else. The ability to do multiple things at a time can be good but it’s not always necessary. If you just close the distracting stuff off once in a while, you will get through tasks faster.)
- Do you look for something to do while waiting? I’m famous for this. I have joked in the past that I don’t even mono-task when I go to the loo. If you’re wound too tight, multi-tasking can wind you even tighter. Impatience is not typically a virtue.
I partially blame IBM and their OS/2 operating system. Back when I was barely old enough to vote and a purchasing agent in the early 1990′s, the company I worked for upgraded from Dos to OS/2 and I had my first experience with multi-tasking on a computer. It changed the way I worked.
I also partially blame dial up. When I started as a freelancer I had just moved to an area without high-speed so as I waited for pages to load, I kept busy during that wait time. It made me go from being a multi-tasker to a super-multi-tasker.
I now blame myself. I have become far too impatient and greedy with technololgy because the more it gives me, the more I want. In fact, I often keep two computers going at a time so that I can do multiple tasks even more efficiently. Yes..too much multi-tasking. Time to slow down before the stress takes its toll on my health.
I say it’s time to slow down. It makes sense that if you’re feeling overwhelmed, slow it down, focus on one thing at a time, and not only will you move through your to-do list at a less frantic pace but you may feel more accomplished at the end of the day (and you might not display as pronounced a nervous tic next time you face a line-up at the bank.) As an alt+tab-o-holic , I’ve decided I have to regularly remind myself of this.
(P.S: I only checked e-mail 6, ok.. 9 times during the writing of this post. Yes, an improvement for me.)
Are you a multitasking monster?
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9 Responses to “Stop Multitasking from Killing Your Productivity”
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Get Paid To Write Online by Sharon Hurley Hall is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Copyright for posts written by guest authors remains with them.Useful info
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Dear Sharon,
I already responded to you via twitter.com. Yes, I too am a multi-tasker. It’s fine, if you aren’t driven, but I am. I have to watch so that I will care for myself.
Great article to remind us.
Sincerely,
Lynn Alessandra Bacarella Wright
Good advice, Sharon. I have been trying to cut down on multi-tasking lately myself. When I am waiting for something, I get impatient and try to do something else in the meantime. But it can be overdone with the e-mail checking, lots of open windows, jumping from one thing to another.
Lillie Ammann´s last blog ..Via Dolorosa
Yes, I admit to being a massive multitasker too. Right now I have four windows and eight FF tabs open, and I’m winding down for the night so that’s far less than usual.
I’ve found I can be so much more productive if I focus on getting one job done at a time without distractions. But developing the habit of mono-tasking is a challenge. We’ve been spoiled by the technologies that allow us to do too much at once.
I get antsy when I have to wait. When I have a slow internet connection I’m impatient and fidgety. I take a notepad, pen, and book with me everywhere I go. I HATE down-time and even like to listen to audio books when I’m driving the car so I can feel driving time is productive. I haven’t quite started to multitask while peeing yet (don’t give me any ideas) but I do spend “wet-time” (washing dishes, showering, toileting, etc.) brainstorming and ruminating over the projects I’m working on.
I can’t remember the last time my brain was quiet and truly in the moment when doing nothing. We need to commit, 1 hour a day when we focus on one single task to the exclusion of all others. That’s an easy enough start isn’t it? Who is with me?
Rebecca Laffar-Smith´s last blog ..WRA Declares April Is ‘Inter’National Poetry Month
Thanks for replies @Lillie and @Lynn. This was my post although my username is masquerading as Sharon.I’d call it an April Fools joke but it started last week
Amen, @Rebecca. I’ve forgotten how to relax. I haven’t been on a “real” vacation with zero work since before I started doing this four years ago. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to unplug for a whole week. I think an hour a day is a good start!
I have to laugh at this post. I carry my iPhone to the loo, so I can play Suduko, I play solitaire while I’m on the phone. There are 5 tabs open right now and 3 applications.
I also feel the stress and a constant sense of not getting it all done! What I try to do is slide away from the desk and take deep breaths, walk around the house, get a glass of water.. anything little to remind me that i”m not really tethered to my computer.
Though I like the idea of 2 computers, then I could check both blogs at the same time! Sigh!!!
Walker´s last blog ..Wednesday Words
LOL @ Walker.
2 computers is sometimes helpful in terms of researching. I have my desktop in front of me and my laptop beside me and doing research on the laptop can be helpful rather than alt+tabbing between windows. And when one acts up and loads too slowly I often turn to the other one. Both computers are lowish on memory so that’s part of the problem although I’m sure an upgrade would satisfy me for all of five minutes
Dana,
Ha. 8 FF tabs open currently. Also, Email and Chrome open.
Wonderful take on this subject. Umm, I gotta go close a few tabs now…
George
George Angus´s last blog ..I Told Myself I Wouldn’t Do this Anymore, But…