The Myth of Multitasking
Multitasking. It’s efficient! Effective! Productive! When you multitask, you can go faster, and get more done, right? Wrong. Multitasking, it turns out, isn’t really a thing. At least not the way we think it is.
According to research, when it comes to cognitive tasks, multitasking is actually just switching between tasks really quickly. And when we task-switch, we lose – both in terms of productivity and cognitive ability. In fact, studies have shown that task-switching can reduce your IQ more than smoking pot. Yikes!
So if multitasking isn’t the productivity hack we’ve been led to believe, what does that mean for those of us trying to get more done in less time? Well, my friends, it means we need to rethink our approach. No more frantically juggling a million things at once. Instead, it’s time to embrace the art of monotasking.
Monotasking: The Antidote to Multitasking Madness
Have you ever seen those runners that stand there, fumbling and fussing as they try to attach and secure a bunch of gear and gadgets to themselves at the start of a race? The watch, the heart rate monitor, the phone/iPod, the GPS tracking device, the hydration belt – THE GEAR, ALL THE GEAR, GIVE IT TO ME NOW SO I CAN RUN LIKE USAIN BOLT!
Yep, I may or may not have been one of those people. It took me years of running and observing the best performers to realize that it wasn’t about all the gear I had with me. In fact, the times when I did my best were those when I was focused on my breath, my cadence, or just even letting it all go and simply pounding the pavement with no distractions.
No Distractions seems like such an elusive state of being these days. We have apps telling us to open them NOW, status updates to write/read/like/comment on, and those naggy little notifications reminding us that they are THERE and that all they need from us is a few seconds (that sneakily turn into minutes, and sometimes hours?!) of our time, then we can get back to work. AmIRight?!?!
We now know that our brains derive a great amount of pleasure and gratification from responding to small, mindless tasks that we KNOW we can complete successfully. This is why instead of starting on that presentation you know you have to deliver in a few days, you go clean your kitchen from top to bottom, or spend an hour on Facebook, or re-organize all your photos on your phone. You get the point.
Cutting the Crap: Your First Step to Monotasking Mastery
One of the best forms of self-help you can give yourself comes in the form of having a system for getting things done. There are so many mechanisms you can use to minimize multitasking, focus on what matters, and free your mind to be more creative, but in this post, we’ll address the first step: cutting the crap.
What we mean by cutting the crap is simplifying and cutting out/blocking the things that are unnecessary or cause distraction. The key is to recognize that we need to “automate” this process by creating checks and balances, and using the appropriate tools as our little helpers, so that we’re not relying on willpower and self-regulation alone.
Here’s how you can start:
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Have a To-Do List? Cut it in Half. We all frequently overestimate the amount of work we can get done, so aim for a list of 3-5 of the most important/critical things you need to do on any given day.
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Create a “Not Gonna Do” List. Consciously telling yourself not to do something “automates” the decision-making process for your brain, so that you don’t have to keep spending time and energy throughout the day trying to decide whether or not to do a specific task or category of tasks.
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Turn Off Notifications. We’re wired to seek pleasure, and all those notifications flood our system with dopamine, which drives us to go seek the rewards of instant gratification. Help yourself by turning them off – on your desktop, laptop, and phone. (Don’t worry, if people really need you, they’ll find a way to reach you.)
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Schedule Time for Small Tasks and Hits of Dopamine. Small tasks and hits of dopamine aren’t all bad, though! They can be a great way to break up big chunks of work, get a brain-break, and give yourself that yummy dose of dopamine your brain craves. Just as long as you set limits, and stick to them.
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Get Rid of Stuff You Don’t Use. The more options you have, the more time and energy you have to spend deciding how to spread your attention across them all. Be brave, and be honest with yourself. Do you really need 3 different “productivity” apps? If not, delete, delete, delete.
Remember, we’re all a work in progress. The reason we know this stuff works is because we’ve tried it. Again, and again, and again. It takes practice, discipline, and a ruthless commitment to being honest with yourself about what’s working, and what isn’t working.
Until then, stop boasting about your ability to multitask, and show this to your teammates or employees who keep trying to do 678,327 things at once. It’s the first step to a more focused, present, organized, and creative world. And if you need a hand getting your cleaning done while you focus on the important stuff, be sure to check out Adam Cleaning – your local Nottingham cleaning superstars.
