My end to multitasking.
I was hired for my first full-time job in April of 1998. I was 22 years old. I had an open door policy and began early on to allow my “can do” attitude to be interpreted for I “can do it right now”. As a yogi, I was flexible and wanting to serve, so this seemed appropriate and in aligned with who I was.
I prided myself in my mad multitasking skills.
At the time it seemed like a great skill to have. I juggled big projects and small tasks by using email, using huge whiteboards and writing out detailed lists while welcoming walk-in traffic, answering the phone and replying to email. This is just what’s needed to get the job done right? Wrong.
Multitasking seemed to work and I was actually pretty good at it (or so I thought). After a decade of honing in on this skill I so intently cultivated, I would learn the many downsides to this approach and what I needed to do to get more efficient and effective with my time.
I began to see my relationship with multitasking in a different light. I was exhausted and wasn’t sure why. It dawned on me that my time was too loosely structured. The big picture projects weren’t getting accomplished, which left every other request of the day being dealt with and never really feeling satiated or satisfied. I wasn’t blocking out specific hours in the day for focused tasks and big picture visioning, which is what moves any business, organization or individual forward.
I became an expert at what I now refer to as “poor work habits” and oddly enough to my colleagues I seemed organized, clear and successful as I kept the balls juggling. I like to think my number one poor habit was using my email as a To Do List. Email is clearly a great communication tool, but not the best project management tool. This was a habit that is still hard for me to break.
I distinctly remember telling colleagues to email me requests for ease of tracking in lieu of making requests in the hallway. This way, I could track their request in my email. This practice kept me in a perpetual cycle of responding to whoever was at the top of my inbox at the time. Some weeks there would be hundreds of emails, with a focus on the top 30. To succeed at this method, I kept my email open ALL THE TIME. My notifications were set to alert me when a new message came in, so if I was working on another project, my attention would be pulled back to email.
Back and forth and back and forth. In and out of email. Bouncing around from one thing to the next and never really landing. This was a waste of time, energy and focus. I knew I had to find new skills and tools to be more efficient.
When I started studying the impacts and effects of multitasking on the human brain, I began to realize that these habits were actually hindering my own brain function and productivity. In my research, I came across a method called the Pomodoro Technique to help focus attention with the use of a timer. I began by turning off all electronic devices, email notifications, my office phone, putting a note on the door that I was busy, and setting a timer for 20 minutes to accomplish important tasks. I initiated a new relationship with time.
I was shocked at how much work I could get done in a short period of time when I focused my attention.
When my awareness wasn’t being pulled to email or the phone, my productivity increased dramatically. This was my first step toward putting an end to my multitasking habit and putting in motion new habits around how I worked, and it is one that I continue to use to this day.
My current practice is to only use email for basic communication. I check my emails once a day and use a timer. My weekly goal is to keep my inbox to no more than 15 total messages. This was a HUGE challenge at first. So, I make a point to celebrate if I can get it to zero by the end of each week. I either reply to the email right away or if action is needed to be taken, it’s tasked to me (or my team) with a deadline in Basecamp, my project management tool. At first this felt like just another step, but it’s proving to pay off. Project management tools help streamline tasks, responsibilities and break down big projects into small, bite-size tasks. There are many on the market with different functions, costs, etc (asana and trello are two other examples).
My productivity has skyrocketed and I function at a higher level. I have more clarity and focused attention to initiate challenging projects and execute them. To me, how I show up to work is simply another habit that reflects other areas of my life (like my yoga practice or meditation practice).
The more consistent I am with all my habits, the more my experience of time expands and the more ease I feel in all areas of my life.
It may be the end to multi-tasking, but it’s the beginning of something profound and fun. I’ve been having so much fun incorporating new techniques and strategies for planning, project management and getting things done with efficiency and ease. I’m sure in a few months I’ll have a few new techniques to share. But for now, I’m loving the level of energy, clarity and time I have to span both the details and the big picture and most days doing it with ease. Because, it’s all a practice, right?
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Rachel Peters is a yoga teacher, yoga health coach, lifestyle and habits expert, easeful living advocate, and lover of wild places. She leads others towards Embodying Ease through a yearlong wellness & lifestyle journey to dissolve perfectionism, embody daily habits that promote mental clarity, overall ease, and deeper connection to life on this wild ride of modern living. Learn MORE today!