Multi-tasking is not your friend!

You’re probably a multi-tasker. I know that I am. I write an e-mail while talking on the phone. I switch from task to task as a thought enters my mind.

I thought I was pretty good at it. And I thought I was getting more done. Turns out, I’m probably not.

Switching rapidly from one task to another creates interruptions and down time. Interruptions cause me to not fully finish the task at hand. And then I put it aside for later. Each time I start a task, there is some up-to-speed time. That’s the time it takes me to re-acquaint myself with the task and get myself back into the mind-set needed to finish that task. So if I add up all those little bursts of time spent, it can be much more than if I completed the task immediately.

Better, say experts, to block out chunks of time (usually 1 – 2 hours) to work through and finish tasks uninterrupted. Then take a short break, 10 – 15 minutes, to recharge. Stretch, get a drink of water, eat a small snack. Use a kitchen timer to help.

I’m still a multi-tasker at heart but I’m trying to finish each task I start before going to the next.