Small business owners and solo entrepreneurs sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the aspects of running their business to their high standards. It's hard to "wear too many hats", or to try to accomplish too many tasks, whether in business activities or at home. When you are doing too many disparate things at the same time, scr888 such as "multi-tasking" you may end up wasting, or "leaking time" and efficiency. Furthermore, research shows that when you try to accomplish too many tasks at the same time, you don't do ANY of them as well.
Having a laser focus on one project at a time prevents any loss of time and efficiency, from leaving, coming back and having to get back up to speed on your task. You forget small details when you lack focus and walk away from a project. You may even forget how you had planned on accomplishing your goal, as well as the creative ideas you had developed when you were completely immersed and "in the flow". Furthermore, if there were particular skills that you needed to learn to complete the task, you tend to forget them by not repeating them frequently when you are in a learning stage. All of these reasons support the concept of doing one task or project at a time until it's a completion.
You may believe that you HAVE TO multi-task to get more work completed. You may have gotten a sense of accomplishment and feel relief that you got the job done, but did you really do the job to high standards that will build your reputation?
Brain research also shows that multi-tasking changes the structure of your brain! It makes it more difficult to focus and maintain attention. When you multi-task you don't do any of the activities as well as you could if you paid strict attention to doing one thing well at a time. Research shows that people who drive and talk on the cell phone, or even worse, text while driving are a real hazard on the roads.
The good news is, you can change your multitasking habits, and retrain your brain, no matter how old you are! However, it may not be that easy. First, you'll have to make a commitment to change your behavior. I suggest that you not only write down your commitment but then describe it in measurable terms. "I will not check my email box for ___ hours". "I will turn off alerts from Facebook, or ____". Of course, you are the only one who knows where you are "leaking" time and attention, so you will have to take a critical look at your activities, and prioritize them.
Many times people multitask because they have a project that is difficult to accomplish. This can be a form of procrastination. It's important to consider why you are having difficulty working on this task. Is it something that you really "want" to do?
I suggest that people plan out their goals for the following day, and have a schedule, with time allocations ready to begin in the morning. Do the worst, and hardest thing first, and you will have a great sense of accomplishment that follows you the entire day!
In order to carry through on your commitment to focus and accomplish your tasks more efficiently, it's also helpful to have accountability. Do you have a business partner, a mastermind group, or a coach? You will be amazed at how much it helps to have someone who will check in on your progress, and give your positive feedback for your accomplishments. Remember to reward yourself for your accomplishment for as well!
Make sure you pay attention to and notice the changes in your efficiency and quality of work as you change your habits, retrain your brain, lower your stress levels, improve your mood and improve your business all at the same time! That's the type of malt-tasking you want!
Lianda Ludwig, MS Author, Speaker, and Coach-consultant, works with aspiring entrepreneurs getting them into ACTION to build a flourishing business. She asks, Entrepreneurs: spent thousands of dollars to learn marketing skills, but haven't put them into action? Then you only have shelf-growth!. Linda specializes in working with entrepreneurs to Clear the Fear, get out of your 'BUT' Rut, and onto your road to Transition Confidence and success!
