The Art of Single-Tasking
As a business owner and leader, I often hear my team expressing how overwhelmed and drained they feel in their jobs and personal lives. I committed to discovering WHY this is the case, and I believe I figured it out. We all have the same amount of time in a day, and none have more than 24 hours: 1440 minutes each day. So what could it be? Suppose some people aren’t overwhelmed, and others are. Could it be that most people are so busy juggling multitasking that they drop the ball in almost every aspect of their lives?
Ask Yourself These Questions:
- How much time do you spend on social media? Do you check socials out with friends, in a meeting, in the car, or when spending time with your children?
- Do you have the TV on in the background in your home?
- Do you text and drive?
- Are you checking email, browsing the internet, driving, or texting clients on zoom meetings?
- Do you have an eating schedule? Where do you eat? What else are you doing when you eat?
Multitasking can feel great because you feel like you are getting a lot done in a bit of time. But the truth is multitasking can rob you of your productivity- and leave you feeling miserable. One of the reasons you’re left feeling miserable is that you divide your attention into so many parts that you cannot focus on anything. If you cannot concentrate on anything, you’ll notice you’re suddenly feeling overwhelmed and drained.
I am first to admit I love feeling like I’m tackling many projects on my to-do list all at once. I get fueled by a busy lifestyle and robust life. But here is the thing: I was doing and going on with so much, I was useless. I wasn’t making any professional progress, and my personal life suffered. I had to shift focus and learn the art of single-tasking. So here is the strategy I began to implement: Focus without interruption or multi-tasking. Focusing without interruption means setting the clock for ONE single task at a time. It might only be 5 minutes, but when I made a conscious effort to get a single job done in a set amount of time, without distractions or breaks- I got so much more done and felt like a new me!The key phrase here is: “Focus on the single task!”Take one task at a time, and then when the task is complete, take a quick break before jumping into the next job.This is a super short blog post, but it will be life-changing if you take it seriously.Focus on the art of single-tasking. Give your family undivided attention. Sit at the table without your phone, or play a game with your kids without browsing social media at the same time. Shift your energy at work onto one task at a time. From your job to your relationships, you can make a big difference in your life. I’m curious. How will you shift your focus onto single-tasking? What is one thing you will do TODAY to start the process? You can reinvent yourself.
Your priorities and values can always match up! Prove yourself with your actions, and remember success is a choice!
Originally published at https://aaronbouren.com on June 14, 2022.