Driving, listening to the radio, having a conversation with your passengers and watching the GPS directions. Sound familiar? Did you notice something missing? How about paying attention to traffic?
With so many things constantly competing for our attention it’s no wonder we have convinced ourselves that multitasking is a skill we have (or must develop). Unfortunately, this is an absolute myth! The truth is that our brains can only fully focus on any one thing at a time.
Let's look at some situations we may have encountered that show how this works:
The classic: “Turn the radio down, so I can see where I’m going” as we try to find an address
The relatively new: “I missed my exit because I was on the phone”, or
The always troublesome: “I didn’t hear my spouse because I was on Facebook”.
Have you experienced any of these? All of them? Think about what happens when you are at work but have family or other concerns in mind. I bet your productivity goes down and what work you do manage to complete is not your best.
Distractions can affect our safety at work and at home. We must plan out our activities in a way that allows for full focus on the task until completion. For long tasks, breaking them into smaller sections and allow for breaks. This will increase our efficiency, productivity, quality and safety.
Here are some tips to help you manage your time more efficiently and reduce the need to “multitask”:
1. Use a planner. I prefer Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus Planner. The planner helps you organize and prioritize your goals, break them into actionable tasks and keep yourself accountable.
2. Use a To Do tracker. I like Microsoft’s To Do because it integrates well with my email and calendar to keep thing in place.
3. Use a journal. A journal is a great way to keep track of your thoughts and actions related to your tasks and it can be a way to gather your thoughts at the end of the day while helping you to determine what comes next. I use a combination of the Field Notes pocket size book during the day and Microsoft OneNote to summarize it all at the end of the day. OneNote also integrates with Outlook and To Do for even more versatility.
4. Schedule time with family and friends. I hate to say it, but if we don’t schedule this time it’s easy to let other things take the space. Family and friends are the WHY we work. Making time for them is crucial to a balanced, productive and safe life.
5. Schedule time for yourself. Yep. Put it in the calendar and announce that this time is for you and you alone. Book a class, read a book, exercise, take a nap or do any other activity that focuses on your well being.
What are your experiences? Do you feel you can multitask? What tools do you use to help you manage your time effectively?
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