One Thing At a Time For Business Owners

December is coming, and there are lots of parties and fun things to do. Business owners might feel like they don’t have enough time to get everything done, and as a result, try to multitask. 

I don’t mean wear multiple hats, which is what entrepreneurs have to do anyway. I’m talking about trying to do two (or more) unrelated things at the same time. Like texting and driving (do NOT do that! Even people who grew up on phones are not capable of driving and texting safely.)

Or checking emails while you’re doing something else, like talking on the phone, attending a talk, etc.

It feels like you’re doing two things at once. Your mind is constantly occupied, so you must be getting a lot done, right?

Wrong.

Science has shown that multitasking is not possible

When it comes to cognitively demanding tasks, your brain can’t do two tasks at once. Think you’re multitasking? What actually happens is that your brain switches rapidly back and forth between the two tasks. 

That gives you the conscious illusion that you’re multitasking. But you’re not doing two things at once. You’re doing two things in sequence and flipping between them quickly.

Ever notice when you’re texting and driving (seriously, DO NOT DO THIS) that people around you are honking? Or you keep hitting the brakes only to realize you’re 20 mph below the speed limit anyway? Or that you’re constantly jerking the wheel to get back in your lane? It’s because while you're texting, your focus is off the road.

Or, less dangerously, you’re in the middle of a demanding task like a tax return, and the phone rings. You pick it up automatically, but while you’re on the phone you’re still thinking about the tax return at first. Then you might concentrate on the call, which makes you lose your place on the return when you get back to it. 

Multitasking is only an illusion. The reality is you’re actually just tiring out your brain faster.

Task switching is tiring for your brain

Have you noticed that on a day where you did a lot of stuff - not necessarily anything that had an impact or moved your company forward, but just a lot of different tasks - that you feel wiped out at the end of the day? Whether you're faux-multitasking or just switching between a lot of different stuff, all the switching is fatiguing. 

That’s why so many people on diets have a great breakfast and super-nutritious lunch … and then eat the contents of the cookie jar for dinner. Too many decisions and your brain is done.

If you think you’re multitasking a lot, you might have noticed that you’re not very efficient. When you divide your focus between two tasks, you’re not multiplying your focus, you’re dividing it in half. As in, you’re now half-assing both tasks. I guess if you’re switching focus between three tasks then you’re third-assing it!

You can be extremely busy and still not get anything important accomplished. 

Focusing on one task at a time makes you more productive

If you’re used to having a lot of tasks that you stop and start, it may seem less productive to “only” do one thing at a time. However, when you concentrate on one cognitively demanding task at a time (and especially when you do it at the right time of day), you’ll find that you can actually get more done.

Doing one thing at a time also helps force you to prioritize. You can only get so much done, so what’s the most important thing to tackle that will move your business forward? This helps you be realistic about the time you’ve got and avoid wasting it.

If you’re busy, not productive, you’re probably not taking care of the important stuff.

Other benefits of single tasking

Parents want to have quality time with their kids. It doesn’t mean going for a hike in Anza Borrego State Park while you’re glued to your phone, as I saw on one visit. (I felt so sorry for the kid.) It’s holiday season, so you’ll have more of a chance to connect with your family too.

Quality time isn’t sitting around the table not listening to anyone because you’re on your phone. It means being with your family, emotionally as well as physically. You don’t have to do activities necessarily. You can just hang out and be present with each other.

That goes for all relationships. When you’re with the other person, be with the other person. Not with your phone, or their phone, or your Zoom call. Your “task”, if you want to call it that, is to really be present with them. 

Single tasking can also help you stay on track. Ever walked from one room into another and tried to figure out what you went in there for? I can pretty much guarantee you started to think about something else almost immediately as soon as you started walking, and that’s why you forgot. 

Consider being mindful about it instead - think about what you’re doing as you’re doing it.

You don’t have to only focus on one aspect of one thing to be single tasking. I like to go for long hikes by myself. I try to take in everything about the experience: the tiny purple flower almost hidden in the rocks on the trail, what the air smells like, the birdsong, and the critters.

Creativity requires that you spend time not thinking logically about things like your marketing strategy or how you’re going to hit your sales targets. It requires time to play, have fun, even be bored. There’s a reason why people get great ideas in the shower or bath. Your subconscious has been working on it, but your conscious mind needs to STFU for a while in order for the epiphany to come.

Recap

Multitasking isn’t possible and switching from task to task is tiring for your brain. Spend time where you’re playing instead of thinking, and single task by being present with what you’re doing or who you’re with. It’s good for your relationships and creativity too.

If you think you’ve hit a profit plateau and there might be a productivity bottleneck to blame, schedule a call with me as I might be able to help.