ThePeopleAlchemist Edit: Multitasking - Be your best self - #SmashYourCeiling, change starts from within -Business & Lifestyle Experimentation for #TheWomanAlchemist

Hello everyone. Yes, multitasking is a myth. Welcome back, and I hope I now have your attention this Monday morning. The concept of multitasking is a myth because the human brain focuses on one task at a time. As a result, we may think that we’re being super productive when in essence, all that we are doing is switching between tasks.

A Multitasking Example

Let’s look at a real-life example. Let’s say you’re currently writing in your journal, and while writing, you hear a notification alert from your phone. You know that it’s a message alert, and so one of two things may happen:

1. Take the time to acknowledge that you received a message, pick up your phone, then read the message before even deciding whether to reply - the multitasking response.
2. Note in the back of your mind that there is a message and that you’ll check it later.

If you’re someone who must check the message immediately, then know that your brain has already processed a ton of information that is taking you away from your job at hand. In the second instance, at a lower level of intrusion, your brain processed a tiny bit of information without pulling you away from the task at hand. Remember that at this point, you haven’t even replied to the message yet, but your way of processing the information can either set you back a few minutes or a few seconds. Multiply your chosen thought process by 20, 30, and 100, and you’ll realise just how much time you’re wasting by switching tasks each day. With option one, at a multiple of 30 by 5 minutes, it means that you’re losing two and half hours to indecision daily. The second option, you lose about 5 minutes (10-second pause, multiplied by 30 breaks, which equals 5 minutes). That is time that could be spent doing a whole lot more.

Do one thing at a time, with PASSION!

To live that life of passion, as mentioned in our previous blog, you must be willing to do one thing at a time, and do it well, with your entire self. Dig deep and breathe your very essence into your actions by tackling even the most mundane activities with excitement, endeavour, and determination. It may not seem easy at first, but remember that everything you do in your daily routine, whether cleaning your teeth or ironing your clothes, is part of your process that benefits you in the long run. So do it well. Do it with thought, do it with passion, do it with intention. And most of all, stop multitasking – you’re just switching between tasks, and it’s proven that by unconsciously switching your focus, you lose valuable time, and the quality of your work diminishes. You can read more about how the brain handles multitasking here, if you've got a few moments to learn more, check out "The One Thing," which explains the concept really well. Be mindful of all you do; remember that change starts within. Until next time x