Multitasking makes you efficient and highly effective. MYTH!
According to the American Psychological Association, the brain is just not set up to multitask. They stated that “when you’re doing all that mental juggling, you are switching between lots of activities at once, and you’re probably not performing any of them very well”.
A To-Do List is important to keep you focused. MYTH!
Most people’s list is made up of things that are important, and lots of other things I like to call “stuff.” A Stanford University study has shown that bombarding your brain with all this different “stuff” not only reduces your productivity, but also may actually harm your brain.
The $64,000 question for you is: Are you using your time effectively by checking off the important things, or just the “stuff?”
It’s Time To Be Honest
The first step in recognizing your need to change is to admit there is a problem. The questions below are tough, and they’re intended to push you out of your comfort zone. Take a few minutes to think about them, and be honest with your answers.
- Do I face frequent interruptions? Am I forever chained to my phone or computer?
- Do I really accomplish my strategic objectives or am I busy being busy?
- Do I often ask, “Why do I have to do so many things myself?”
- Do I find myself working “in” my business instead of “on” my business?
- Do I ever wonder if what I am doing is truly worth the time, headaches, and sacrifices?
- Do I go home many nights feeling mentally and physically drained?
- Do I dread the drudgery of dealing with the same issues and problems every day?
- Am I anxious about drowning in projects, problems, deadlines, crises, meetings, employee issues, unanswered voicemails and/or emails, customer complaints, administrative trivia, etc.?
- Do I feel like a master juggler with too many balls in the air?
- Am I still working too much and making too little?
- Am I fed up with missing family events and making other personal sacrifices?
- Do I crave more free time to do the things that matter most to me?
- Do I feel that my business is just not growing fast enough?
- Do I feel like I am on the proverbial “treadmill?”
If you answered YES to more than three of these questions, it’s time for you to step back, and ask WHY? Once you’ve identified the why, you need to FOCUS on a solution. If you need help with that, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d be happy to have a conversation with you.
As always, have a great week!