If multitasking is a habit of yours, you probably aren’t really doing yourself any favors. The idea that multitasking allows you to get more done is a big myth especially when it comes to your business.
Sure, you can probably cook and watch T.V. or read a book while on the elliptical at the gym, but when it comes to your work, you probably don’t want to be working on a serious project and trying to schedule social media updates to promote your business at the same time.
Here are three reasons why you need to stop multitasking when it comes to your business, and what you should do instead.
1. It’s Wasting Your Time
Personally, I can’t even write an article while listening to music from my favorite recording artist. I might be able to turn on a playlist that has soothing music without lyrics, but if I really need to focus on fleshing an idea out, I’ll probably pause the music or turn it down.
I find that I work slower and I’m less focused when I try to take on too many tasks at once.
Doing something as simple as checking your email all day long while you’re working on projects can slow you down and extend your work day.
According to the American Psychological Association, doing more than one task at a time can cause mental blocks and take up 40 percent of one’s productive time.
While it may seem like it’s better to kill two birds with one stone by taking on multiple tasks at the same time, you’re not really doing yourself any favors because it can take longer to complete the tasks as a whole than it would to knock out each item on your to-do list one by one.
2. You’re Making Mistakes
One of the worst consequences of multitasking is making mistakes due to lack of focus. If you’re not giving your full attention to something important, odds are you’re going to make a few errors or even spend more time going back over your work in fear that you forgot something.
Even if you are doubling up on your tasks and getting things done quicker, is it worth making several mistakes and losing your credibility?
3. This Habit Can Cause You To Forever Combine Your Personal and Work Life
Working for yourself is amazing, but one of the downsides is the fact that it can be hard to know when to stop working and enjoy your personal life.
There’s always going to be an unread email or something that needs to be done. Still, it’s important to unplug when necessary so you can obtain the proper amount of rest and refuel for the next day of work.
If you opt to check your emails at the dinner table or while you’re supposed to be watching a movie with your spouse or have a conference call while you’re picking your child up from school because you feel they won’t notice your lack of engagement, you’ll be training your child not to separate their own personal and professional life.
Instead of Multitasking, Do This
Instead of multitasking, find out which time of the day you are most productive during your work hours and rank your daily tasks in order of importance.
Try to dedicate your undivided attention to the most complex tasks and knock them out one-by-one or even take a break in between.
You can also outsource simpler tasks or things you don’t want to do to your team or a virtual assistant.
You can make better use of your time and potentially earn more money by doing things this way.
Summary: Stop Trying to Do Everything at Once
Multitasking is a bad idea when it comes to your business.
Instead of trying to do multiple tasks at once, streamline your process, make the most of your designated work time to maximize your productivity, and outsource to fill in the gaps.
