Multitasking is a Myth. Picture this…
You are happily walking through the park with two small children.
One in each hand, both neatly under control.
They are staying put as you have a firm grip on each of them.
Meaning everything is calm.
You get to where you need to be without any trouble or stress.
Suddenly, out of the trees comes another child.
Rushing at you and demanding to take your hand as well.
You know, if you take your hand from one of the original two children they will dash off and end up lost and confused somewhere.
So instead you pop this third child into one of your hands.
Too Much To Handle At One Time
So now you have 3 children in two hands….it’s a bit more complicated and the likelihood of someone tripping up is highly probable, but it is almost (almost!) doable.
Oh look…here comes a fourth child also wanting to hold your hand so you dutifully place their small hand in yours.
Now there are 2 hands and four children all crammed together and you are all shuffling along slowly, not really getting anywhere and stepping on one another.
It’s messy, uncomfortable, confusing and getting pretty stressful but almost (almost!!) workable.
But guess what…here comes a fifth child…oh and a sixth…all running at you from the trees, all clamouring for your attention…all wanting to grab a hand!
All of a sudden, you are overwhelmed by these small children. You fall over, they all pile on top of you and that’s the end of your day!
Now, imagine all those children are the jobs you give yourself each day.
Multitasking is not as effective as we are led to believe and even if you consider yourself the Master Multitasker, you’re not, because such a person simply cannot exist!
The Science Of MultiTasking
Performing one or two of those jobs, occasionally at once is fine, it is not overwhelming.
According to a study performed in 2010 you are perfectly capable of completing these two tasks (or looking after these two children), without too much problem.
This is because your brain, with its two separate lobes, can divide its concentration between two jobs at once without too much cause for concern.
Study co-author Etienne Koechlin explains: “It [is as] if each frontal lobe is pursuing its own goal [but] this finding . . . suggests that the frontal function cannot keep track of more than two goals/tasks at the same time.”
So by adding in even one extra task, your brain suddenly starts to feel overwhelmed which triggers stress.
Why We Multitask (and why we shouldn’t)
In turn the introduction of mistakes in your work – or in the case of the children, the odd trip or fall.
Once you get beyond that third or fourth task, you are dealing with a full-on overwhelming attack of stress and the consequences that can incur.
Consider that the majority of people who run their own business, such as yourself, work at a high level of stress, day in and day out, attempting to run, organise, plan, create and direct everything at once.
Even if you have a team to delegate to, do you find yourself checking their work?
Imagine that, you are looking at dangerously high, ongoing stress levels which, if left unchecked, can eventually lead to mental health issues.
Major issues such as depression, being signed off work and other stress-related illnesses are not good uses of your limited time or mental health. Be proactive and take control.
‘Childmind’ Your To Do List And Stop The Multitasking Mayhem
As my business name suggests, we are here to ensure you have the clearest vantage point from which to run your business.
As the Director of your company, no doubt you wish you could concentrate more time and put more emphasis back on the cash-generating tasks, to expand and develop your empire,
If you are constantly prioritising other people’s work over and above your own, then the most crucial aspect of your job cannot be taken care of with a clear focus.
Imagine how many hours are wasted, day in and day out by your futile efforts to multitask.
Yes, you could ‘prioritise’ your jobs. Keep in mind a ‘priority’ is not the number of tasks with the same amount of importance put upon them.
But a singular job which holds the highest or most crucial importance.
It’s challenging to start prioritising a large number of jobs and attempt to complete them via multitasking.
You will quickly find that you lose time, energy and money in no time!
Conclusion
So it’s time to take charge once again and give some of those children back to their ‘parents’!
Focus on what is important to you, what is your priority either within your overall job role, or just for that day or week.
Whatever is left over, don’t concern yourself with, delegate to those who know what their priorities are for that day or week.
Clear View Administration is here to be a part of that dependable and professional team. We will enable you to free up your schedule and put a stop to your multitasking hell.
We take on tasks you perform regularly. You no longer need to concern yourself with administration tasks travel arrangements and so much more!
Multitasking is a Myth do you have any hacks to better organisation? Comment below ⬇️
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