What is multitasking?
- Multitasking is a practice of handling several different tasks at the same time.
- In today’s competitive world it is become necessary to accomplish the assigned task as early as possible. It does not mean that it is necessary to become a multitasker.
- Due to advancement in technology, many believe that multitasking is easy to implement and it is a required skill.
- But the fact is multitasking is actually a harmful habit.
Why avoid multitasking?
- Due to multitasking, it is possible that you will finish all the assigned tasks but you will lower the quality required.
- The time required to finish all the tasks makes multitasking very inefficient.
- It divides a person’s concentration and energy which in turns lowers the required attention.
- Multitasking may cause stress and anxiety.
- You may kill your creativity due to multitasking.
Steps to avoid multitasking
1. Change your mindset
- If you have a mind set that multitasking works well then you need to change your mind set.
- Don’t make your job a alphabet soup.
- If you are handling more task at the same time then the probability of doing mistake will also increase.
- Be aware of your casual habits that will lead to multitasking.
2. Plan your day
- You need to plan your day before having a start. First, make to-do-list.
- You need to prioritize your work.
- After prioritization, you need to schedule your work.
- Make sure that you should start early. Because when you get a good start you will feel fresh to continue.
- End your day with to-do-list and note down the task completed.
3. Finish before you start
- Make a habit of doing one thing at a time.
- Do not start the new task unless and until you have finished the previous one.
- Don’t allow a small task to interrupt the big one.
- This will help you to keep yourself organized.
4. Be present and focused
- Do not let your past or future dominate over the present.
- Always focus on the current task and don’t let other distractions to interrupt in.
- Surround yourself with positive people who inspire and encourage you.
5. Manage distractions
- Small tasks like checking email, managing phone calls, etc. distract a lot. Therefore you need to take out some time to manage these things.
- During the distraction, our mind is not able to retain the new information.
- Small distraction may lead to a big error like missing deadlines.
- The best way to avoid distraction is, do not hesitate in saying ‘NO’.
- You may also appoint one person who can take care of these small tasks.
