Are you a proud multitasker, getting a lot of things done all at the same time? I considered myself a multitasking queen!
Can you relate to this, being on the phone, texting, writing an email, doing sign language to someone in your office, making notes, doing a quote, and still talking on the phone all at the same time and thinking nothing at all about doing this?
CTTO: Canva
Then it starts, you notice you missed something, you didn’t remember an important part of a conversation or forgot to add a condition or an added expense to your quote, and the text you sent went to the wrong person. These are all “oops” lessons that now come at a cost from not paying attention to details, also called multitasking.
Then there is the worry, did our client notice, did I upset an employee, what else did I miss? I dropped the ball and wasn’t even 60 % present when I should have been 100 % in at least one of the conversations I was trying to have.
I had this happen, I was dropping the ball, missing important parts of conversations, and not remembering to do what I said I would do because, in the end, I wasn’t paying attention. My mind was in one of those other conversations and I got caught. It is a terrible feeling when a few of your customers ask you if you remember something or ask why you didn’t do something.
I had to shift how I worked and believe me when I say, once I dropped the multitasking mentality and shifted towards uni-tasking, working on one project at a time, my work environment changed. Having one conversation at a time, working on one report or quote, and focusing on all the important details finally made me feel like I was in control again.
The huge payoffs of uni-tasking are:
- you calm down, your racing thoughts to get as much done as possible stop
- your thoughts stay clear and focused so you don’t miss a beat
- you schedule your time to get everything done for that day
- you are in control again
Did you know your brain can’t multitask, your brain can only do one thing at a time but because you do so many things, bits, and pieces of things at any given moment you think you are great at multitasking?
Being engaged, being focused, and doing your work well is also part of what makes a great leader.
When you multitask, you miss a lot of things, it’s incredibly inefficient, and you don’t pay attention to the people, their reactions, or their interactions in your surrounding environment.
Learning how to stop being a multitasker to becoming a Uni-tasker is all about shifting your thoughts, and having a different more focused relaxed desire for yourself. Figuring out what works the best for you to become a very productive uni-tasker is simple.
Uni-tasker tips:
- Take 5 to answer 5 to set up your day (Get your copy HERE)
- Clear off all distractions from your desk
- Turn off all notifications
- Drink water to help you stay hydrated to focus
- Close your office door during your project focus time
- Learn to say no or to delegate so you have the time to do what you need to do
I mentioned that some multitasking works well. IE: watching tv and doing Sudoku or a craft. These are mindless activities that you don’t need to focus on. But even doing that you can only do one thing at a time switching your mind’s focus seconds apart but at least it won’t cost you if you just miss the meaning of the show to pay attention to that activity.
You are your business’s best asset so learn the essential strategies that will help you do what you need to do and do it well. After all this is your work baby and it doesn’t feel good to be dropping the ball.