The Importance Of Focus In A Multitasking World

Most people view the ability to multitask as a way to cope with the increasing demands of the workday. But recent research has shown that true multitasking, the ability to focus on more than one similar task simultaneously, just isn’t humanly possible. At best, we’re serial tasking, constantly stopping one train of thought and shifting our attention from our current focus and onto the next. This is an arguably inefficient way of getting things done and leaves most people feeling scattered and exhausted.

There’s no replacement for giving 100% of your effort and attention to a task and then moving on to the next. It takes more discipline and planning than multitasking, but the outcomes are certainly better, as described in the research article above. Below are a few tips for developing the discipline of focus.

1. Plan Ahead — There’s no replacement for good planning. Plan for the following day before you leave each evening. When you arrive at work the next day, review the plan and fine tune it before you begin anything. And that includes reading your email! If you begin something before you’ve reviewed your plan of action, you’re much less likely to follow it and end up getting distracted.
2. Stick To It — It’s tempting to reach a difficult part of a task and want to move on to something easier. Move one task at a time, taking it to completion. If you can’t finish right away, schedule it to complete at a later time. Avoid partially completing tasks as much as possible.
3. Don’t Be A Serial Email Checker — Checking email every 10-15 minutes and responding immediately takes you instantly off task and breaks your focus. Set certain times in the day to check and respond to email. Spend the rest of your time zeroed in on your priority tasks. If there’s an emergency that needs attention immediately, chances are good that person will call rather than email.

Staying focused and avoiding the temptation to try to do more than one thing at a time will make you much more productive in your business. Effective workers are not multitasking workers, and practicing the discipline of focus will improve your ability to get things done well.

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