Updated on June 5, 2024
Stop Multitasking. Learn why doing too many things at once can make you less productive. Stop multitasking and start focusing on getting things done!
Does this sound familiar to any of you?
I need to clean the kitchen. I start wiping down the counters, but some toys and papers are left out that need to be put away. So I drop the papers off at my desk to deal with later and then take the toys to my daughter’s room to put away.
Wow! Her room is a mess. I think I will tidy up her room really quickly. Oh no. She left her water cup in her room from last night. I better take that back to the kitchen.
Oh, wait! That’s right, I am supposed to be cleaning the kitchen! Uh oh. A few more receipts are sitting on the counter, hiding behind the cereal box, that needs to be added to my pile of papers to file/deal with later.
I go back to the office to set down the papers. Look at that: I have seven new notifications on Facebook. I will check those real quickly and then get back to the kitchen.
By now, I have wasted half an hour or more. The kitchen was not even remotely clean, my daughter’s room wasn’t completely picked up, and I had a stack of papers to deal with later that night.
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About Multitasking
This month, we have been discussing how to get organized, starting with the basics. One thing many of us do is multi-task.
When you multi-task, you are not giving any item you are working on 100% of your attention. Mistakes can happen, and in most cases, it will actually take you longer to get the job done.
We think we are getting so much done, but in reality, we are most likely being less productive and not giving the areas in our lives the attention they deserve.
If you have kids (or a spouse, a roommate, or a pet, and the list goes on), it can be hard to focus completely on any one thing at a time. And in our increasingly digital world of smartphones and computers, we have a constant bombardment of information, notifications, and distractions.
Focus
My word of the year for last year was focus. Something completely unexpected happened when I started not to have five different things competing for my attention.
When I sat down to read a book, I read the pages and got lost in the words without re-reading the same paragraph repeatedly.
When I checked emails (and only emails, and not Facebook or my blog), I could zip through them in a quarter of the time.
When I went in to clean the kitchen and focused on getting the job done, it took me about half the time.
Focusing with Kids
But my kids constantly ask for things and interrupt me, you say!
Another unexpected thing happened when I focused. I sat down to play with my kids and gave them my full attention, and we enjoyed our time together much more.
An added bonus was that if I gave my kids my full attention for a period of time, they were much more likely to give me the space I needed to get the other items on my list done.
Think about it. Have you ever gone out to dinner with a friend, and they were constantly checking their phone? Are you sometimes that friend? I know I am guilty of it, at least on occasion.
How does it make you feel when you think someone is not really paying attention to you? Not very good, I would guess. We all crave interaction and feeling like we are being heard. This doesn’t happen when the other person can’t look up from the screen long enough to acknowledge we are talking!
How to Stop Multitasking
So, how do you stop multitasking?
Use a Timer
For me, the timer is my best friend. I have bookmarked this online timer. Whenever I do anything online – check emails, blogs, or social media- I set the timer for a specified period, usually 15 minutes. While the timer is going, I only focus on one task at a time.
Real-life example: So, let’s say I need to check emails. I set my online time for 15 minutes, then go through emails and process them as quickly as possible.
I have folders labeled “pending” and “to do.” This helps me to quickly get through all the emails without getting distracted. All emails are deleted, immediately responded to, or filed in the appropriate folder.
The next time during the day I focus on emails, I don’t process any new emails. Instead, I go through my ‘to-do’ folder and get anything done that I didn’t have time for earlier in the day.
Besides my planned daily time, I don’t check email on any device. I am not in a business where anything is life or death, so if an email sits in my inbox for a day, it is fine!
Real-life example: Social media is another area where I use timers. I set the screen time monitors to allow a specific amount of social media daily.
I often find myself mindlessly scrolling to procrastinate, and then I get sucked in. It has actually become a pretty bad habit. Because I have to be on social for work, I try to do all those tasks from a computer rather than my phone when possible.
Limit Distractions
Limit as many distractions as you can. Close browser tabs, turn off notifications, complete one task before moving on to the next, and batch your tasks.
Stop using the multiple tabs in your web browser. Only have one tab opened at a time and focus on that particular web page. Close it and move on to the next!
Turn notifications off (or at least mute them) on your smartphone or device. Constantly hearing that ding throughout the day can be extremely distracting.
Completely finish the task you are working on before moving on to the next thing on your to-do list.
Create time blocks throughout the day to work on certain things. Block out a specific amount of time for a specific task. Only work on that task during that time. If you work from home, you could have time blocks for family time, work, cleaning, meal prep, etc.
Use a Timer to Clean and Organize
I also use a timer when I am cleaning or trying to get an organizing task done at home. Use the timer on your phone or purchase an inexpensive portable timer.
Steps for Focused Cleaning:
- Start by grabbing a trash bag and another basket or box.
- Put any items you find that belong somewhere else in the house in the basket as you go. Do NOT leave the task at hand!
- Set your timer and start cleaning. Get as much done as you can in that time. This makes you more effective because you only do one thing at a time.
- Use the timer as motivation to beat the clock to get even more done.
- Once the timer goes off, remove the trash and return the items from the basket to where they go.
Focusing on a specific task rather than jumping around will help you get more done in a shorter period of time.
Today’s challenge: Focus on one task at a time for the entire day. See how much more you can accomplish.
Recommended Reading:
- Health.com: 12 Reasons to Stop Multitasking Now!
- Harvard Business Review: How and Why to Stop Multitasking
- BetterUp: Multitasking isn’t working: a science-backed approach to a better day
Are you a multi-tasker? Do you feel like you are getting a lot done? Tell me about it in the comments!
Project Organize Daily Checklist
Each day, we will build on the previous day until we have all our basic daily routines on auto-pilot.
- Use your planner and master list
- Do chores from the cleaning routine you chose
- Stop multitasking
- Do the dishes
- Complete one load of laundry per day
- Daily pick up
- Make the beds
- Quick vacuum or sweep the floor
- Sort the mail and papers
This post is part of Project Organize: The Basics. Together, we will work on setting up basic systems in our homes to conquer overwhelmed and busy schedules.
These are the basics we need to do daily that will set up the foundation for success. This will allow us the space to tackle the larger decluttering projects with ease.
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Hilary says
Oh my gosh, I love this article. I’m so guilty of this. In fact, I have my work-related project management tab open right now… and your blog tab! And a work-related document in another window waiting for me to finish it! Okay, okay, I’m getting back to work. But this was a great read – thank you!
Lauras Crafty Life says
This is a work in progress for me as well. I sit here with 4 tabs open on the lap top of articles I opened that I want to read. But, I do know that when I focus (on pretty much everything), I get a lot more done and usually in a lot less time!