#Day 4: 7 DAYS PRODUCTIVITY CHALLENGE
Challenge: Focus on one thing at a time!
To increase your productivity, learn to focus on one task at a time – single tasking. One of the greatest enemies of productivity is multitasking. People who multitask do so in a bid to get more done. The challenge about multitasking is that though you may get more work you may not get the desired results. Don’t forget productivity is about getting results.
The brain is typically wired to focus on one task at a time. However, women are prone to multitasking while men like to focus on one task at a time. In multitasking instead of spending the time to properly execute a task, you spend time executing more than one with divided attention and you end up having a lower outcome on each of them.
Multitasking is not a way to boost your productivity and as such must be avoided as much as possible. A study conducted by Stanford University shows that individuals who multitask are less productive than individuals who focus on one task.
It was discovered that individuals who multitask have difficulty in recalling information or switching from one task to another than people who stick to single tasking. Multitasking may have the following disadvantage according to research;
- Cause brain damage
- Damage your career
- Lower IQ
Read Forbes article on Multitasking
Don’t try to write a book, read your email, chat at the same time. You will end up having divided attention and you won’t give it your best. Multitasking can be very exhausting.
Instead of multitasking –
- Stick to one task at a time
- Delegate tasks where you can instead of multitasking.
In order to stick to one task per time, ensure you have a to-do list and follow it strictly. Make your to-do list as simple as possible and not choked up with plenty task. Make sure your to-do-list is as realistic as possible. So you don’t burn out yourself.
Also where necessary, delegate/assign different tasks to people who can execute it properly. Sometimes we try to do everything by ourselves, that is why we sometimes feel the need to multitask.
You may decide to multitask while doing house chores but when it comes to complex matters it is better to focus on one task at hand.
Have a productive day!
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