If you’re like many people you spend most days multitasking. You’re probably so used to multitasking that you don’t even realise when you’re doing it. After all, it’s a skill many employers look for in their employees. The modern workplace is so driven by the need for efficiency that you are practically encouraged to multitask. In some cases, you are left with little choice as the amount of work assigned to you could not be completed in the allotted time unless you attempt to perform more than one task at a time.
Multitasking may seem efficient but it certainly isn’t effective. It is rarely efficient either.
Efficiency is focused on getting more work completed.
Effectiveness is focused on getting the right work completed.
With efficiency, you are so busy trying to get more done that you do not ensure that it is your most important work which you are focusing on and; in your haste, it is very easy for quality to suffer.
With effectiveness, you are not worried about the quantity of work. Your focus is on completing your most important task to the highest standard possible. If you manage that; it really doesn’t matter how much work you complete because the work you don’t get completed is rarely very important.
Rather than multitask, you need to improve your focus to increase your productivity. My FREE Report will show you how.
The myth of multitasking
Many people believe multitasking saves them time but it rarely ever does. There is an old belief that women are better at multitasking than men. I hate to break it to you ladies but this simply isn’t true. The reason is that nobody multitasks. Nobody can really do two complex things at once.
What women do seem to be better than men at is rapid refocusing. This occurs when you consistently switch between more than one task. Each time you switch task, you must refocus on the task you have switched to so that you can do what needs to be done. Very few people are good at this and most people will take a few minutes to get back up to speed on the task. Think about it for a minute; if you are losing time refocusing every time that you switch task; how could trying to complete more than one task at a time be any quicker than focusing solely on finishing one task before moving on to the next?
The reality is that when you try to multitask, you will almost always be slower and you are more likely to make mistakes because of your need to get back up to speed and refocus every time that you switch task.
Why is multitasking bad?
I have already mentioned that you must switch from task to task. This takes time for your mind to change into the right mindset for the new task. You must take the time to remember where you left off and if you don’t remember correctly; it is easier to make a mistake.
1. Multitasking leads to attention and memory loss
According to a study by Harvard Professor Clifford Nass, in findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, people who use online social media and other forms of electronic communications have trouble focusing their attention and have lower scores on memory tests.
This may sound surprising to you but think back to your school days. The people who never paid attention in class were the ones who couldn’t remember anything come exam time. They did not give their full attention to the material being presented to them so that information was never fully embedded in their memory. If you are trying to divide your attention between two or more things; your brain cannot decide what it is supposed to remember and what it can ignore. At best, you remember a mish mash of information which is of no real benefit to you.
Nobody is saying that you can never use social media or electronic devices. Set aside some time for these activities and during that time give them your full attention. But when you are doing work, turn them off and focus solely on the work.
You can learn more about using social media wisely in my article, Tame social media and focus on the important stuff.
2. Cognitive performance is diminished
A recent study by Zheng Wang, a professor at Ohio State University, showed that multitasking caused students to feel more productive, but showed they were actually reducing their cognitive skills abilities such as studying.
Again, this may seem counterintuitive because a lot of people will think that if you can do more than one thing at a time you must be more intelligent.
But think about it. If you want to learn something, you need to immerse yourself in it and give it your full and undivided attention. This allows you to absorb the information, interpret it and apply it to your life/situation. It is not about getting something done; it is about mastering it.
Have you ever tried to learn a language while listening to heavy metal? Of course not, you know that it wouldn’t work because you wouldn’t be able to think clearly. The same goes for anything you are trying to learn. You need to be able to think clearly about the subject matter and this can only be achieved when you give it your full attention.
3. It turns people off when you are interacting with them
People who multitask often find themselves coming into contact with others. If you only half pay attention to them, answering texts and phone calls while talking to them, you will lose their respect.
You would be surprised at how many stories I have heard about people going on dates and spending the entire date playing with their phone. They are then surprised when the other person doesn’t want another date. Why would they? You have just spent the entire date telling them that they are less important than an inanimate object i.e. your phone.
How do you feel when you are talking to somebody and they are not paying attention to you? I’m guessing you don’t like it. But that’s what you do when you are trying to pay attention to other things while you are meeting up with someone. If you don’t have time to give them your full attention, don’t meet up with them because you are only going to annoy them.
4. Multitaskers lose productivity
Switching between tasks is counter-productive. You lose time and concentration every time you switch to a different task.
As I have already discussed above, there is a belief that multitasking improves your productivity but it doesn’t. It actually slows you down and increases your chances of making a mistake.
Of course, if you do make a mistake, you have to spend more time correcting it. So why take that risk when you can focus on one task at a time; complete that task to the highest standard and then move on to the next task?
5. Multitaskers are less likely to finish one quality project
They may finish all their tasks for the day, but they will most likely be sub-par than if they had focused solely on one to completion.
If two tasks take 8 hours each, you cannot do them both in one 8-hour period. That is effectively what you are trying to do when you try to multitask. You are trying to complete two items in the time that you should be allowing for one.
What actually happens is that each project gets half the time and attention that it really needs. If you believe that you can do as good a job while giving it half the time and attention it needs; you are deluding yourself and sooner or later, it is going to come back to bite you on the backside.
Rather than multitask, you need to improve your focus to increase your productivity. My FREE Report will show you how.
The alternative to multitasking
It’s better to focus instead though. Focusing lets you concentrate on one task or thought at a time, helping you create a better result for each task.
When you focus on one task at a time, you immerse yourself in that task and your thinking is clearer and more intelligent. This allows you to complete the tasks to a much higher standard and; you can usually complete it in less time than you had previously thought.
If you need to improve your focus, The Modern Professional's Guide to Organisation and Focus will set you on the right track.
Conclusion
Multitasking makes it difficult to focus entirely on each task you are doing. You are thinking about emails you have to respond to when writing a report and the phone calls you need to return even while you are thinking about the next task on your to-do list. This type of working environment doesn’t do anything but cause you stress. Instead of multitasking among several tasks, you should prioritise your tasks and break them up into workable time chunks. Then focus on one task at a time and see it through to completion. It may initially appear that you do less work but you will be doing your most important work to a much higher standard and as you get more focused, you will become much quicker too.