7 Secrets to Stop Multitasking
Multitasking is the bane of the solopreneur's existence. You have to wear all the hats: operations, client management, creative department, and social media/PR/marketing strategy.
Add in being a spouse and parent, and you reach almost spontaneous combustion constantly. To use a favorite expression - YOU CAN'T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES!
Tell me if this is what happens to you:
You sit down to work for the day. If you're trying to get ahead, you wrote out your to-do list the night before.
You start with menial tasks first, while the caffeine works its magic.
While you're working on your 2nd (or in my case 4th) cup of coffee, your brain starts to wake up and want to do productive things.
At this point, you are halfway through your email and quite possibly down the rabbit hole of social media.
You flit back and forth between interesting articles, half-read blogs, notes-to-self, and responding to clients.
You have 21 internet browser tabs open.
You take a short break because you don't feel like you're getting much done and you're starting to get overwhelmed.
You decide to work on a project that doesn't require the internet, like creating blog graphics or mapping out an ebook.
Your phone or other notifications start pinging you - email, Facebook, texts, etc.
It's now 4 or 5 PM. You need to think about the evening family to-do's, you didn't get to the gym or even go on a walk, and everything is half done.
CRAP. *sigh*
I have been there. Some days I am still there.
After several years in business, working from home with a growing family, business pivots, and moving states — I am constantly working on ways to be more productive and just not feel so scattered every day.
A routine or habit that works at one point might not work a season or a year from now, so you have to reassess how you structure your time and work.
There are endless articles that assert how bad multitasking actually is for success and productivity.
"Multitasking Damages Your Brain And Career, New Studies Suggest"
Here are the best tips and tricks I use to stay on task.
1) Don’t check your email first thing.
Admittedly, I check my phone pretty much as soon as I get my first cup of coffee. It’s not in my bedroom, but plugged in out in the living room (so I don’t literally open my eyes and reach for it). But I only check to make sure there is nothing that requires my immediate attention. Then I put it down. To further the email restraint, do your best to only check and respond to emails twice per day (say 9 AM and 3 PM). In a world of instant everything, often clients expect an immediate response. Chances are they can wait a couple of hours.
When you check email first thing, it’s easy to lose sight of the day’s priorities and get sucked into a rabbit hole of quick tasks that make you feel like you’re accomplishing something, when the reality is you aren’t accomplishing the right things.
➡️Read more about how to manage your email so you don’t get distracted by it throughout your day.
2) Give your brain a chance to wake up.
I don't even think about really working until I'm two cups of coffee in and I’ve at least stretched and meditated a bit. I don’t have a long, drawn-out morning routine (it’s not the season of life for that), but I need to give my brain and body a chance to feel good first.
If I jump into work (like trying to answer a quick email or two while I’m drinking coffee and trying to get kids out the door), then it sets a scattered tone for the day.
3) Have a list of to-do’s that was written down the night before.
I keep my to-do list to 2-3 top priorities for the day, and maybe another 5-6 secondary tasks per day. If I have a huge rolling list that constantly looks unfinished then it psyches me out. I also make sure I have small tasks as well as bigger tasks so I know I can get things checked off that list. I tend to be more creative and brain-stormy in the evening, so writing out my list at the end of my day for the next day just works better for me.
4) Schedule recurring tasks into batch days.
Having one main focus for the day helps to push through that task from start to finish. For example, I spend a chunk of time on Mondays and Thursdays scheduling out my social media posts for the next few days. I might spend the entire day on Tuesday taking photos that I'll use on my blog or social media accounts. Then Wednesday is content day - blogs, newsletter, ebook, etc.
Success with this method is how I created the Ideal Work Week template. I “theme” my days so I know what to concentrate on whether I have a few minutes or a few hours.
5) Schedule education time.
I read a lot out of business books and how-to articles. I know if I take the time to read them undistracted, I will get ideas and motivation for myself or my clients. I usually end up using one night a week after the kiddo goes to bed to read for business. The information sinks in much better than all those half-read articles in browser windows that I never quite finished.
6) Stop (or STAAAHHHP).
Seriously. Have a designated time to put it all down. Even if you know it will be 9 PM, give yourself the space to complete your day and take care of yourself and commit to an end to your day.
7) Reassess your calendar consistently.
When I time block my calendar, it gets stale and I forget what I'm supposed to be doing when. The reminders are dismissed just like every other popup and are ignored. While I love structure, I also get bored easily and need flexibility. About once every 4-6 weeks I reassess my Ideal Work Week and batch days to see what needs to be tweaked.
These tips are mostly centered around the taskings of running your own business. Every day there is client work and daily to-dos that have to happen no matter what. Because client work obviously gets first priority, the self-care of your business too often can take a backseat if you're a multitasking addict.
Conclusion:
Multitasking will keep you distracted and make you less productive, not more. My 7 best tips for eliminating multitasking are:
Don’t check your email first thing.
Give your brain a chance to wake up.
Have a list of to-do’s that was written down the night before.
Schedule recurring tasks into batch days.
Schedule education time.
Stop (or STAAAHHHP).
Reassess your calendar consistently.
Grab your own copy of my free printable Ideal Work Week to help you batch your tasks and eliminate as much multitasking and context-switching as possible.
Related Posts:
How To Unplug: A Simple Guide for Online Entrepreneurs
Time Blocking Not Working For You? Try This Easy Productivity Tip Instead
