Some time ago I considered that the only way to deal with work overload was to do several things at the same time, but the fact is that the brain is unable to focus on two things at once. So I would say that multitasking is not good.
Some entrepreneurs assume that thanks to technological advances they can do several tasks at the same time, and that their assistants can do so too. But the truth is that our brain is not ready for that.
Do you know it takes 20-30 minutes to achieve the concentration between one task and another?
This means that every time you are doing an important work and you answer the phone or check your mail, it will take a while to concentrate again.
When I started my Virtual Assistance business, I believed I had to answer the phone whenever it rang or check emails frequently because I thought that otherwise I was not giving my clients a good service.
The truth is that we don’t help our customers if our productivity is put at risk. The constant interruption means that it will take longer to do things. It causes stress, and stress causes delays and we are more likely to make mistakes.
Here you have some strategies that have given me good results.
1. Stop answering all phone calls while you’re working. Let the answering machine answer the phone. Set a routine to check your voicemail and return calls every day.
2. Stop checking your email. Set times to check it. In my case, I do it early in the morning, at noon and late afternoon.
3. Avoid surfing the internet aimlessly. How many times have you had the intention of looking for something specific and end up reading other things? Probably many times. My advice is to set specific hours to surf the Internet. This will let you aware of the time you spend and will force you to focus only on what is really important.
4. Schedule blocks of time for tasks that require your complete concentration. During those periods, keep strictly to the job or project. I prefer to do these tasks early in the morning because my mind is much clear.
5. Leave the simple and routine tasks that don’t require a deeper level of concentration for the hours outside the productive blocks.
6. Use an application that helps you manage your time. You can use for example the “Pomodoro Technique” This technique allows you perform the maximum possible tasks during the day without spending time procrastinating while taking several breaks to clear your mind and relax.
7. Delegate. Stop thinking you have to do it all and that it will take you less time to do it yourself than explaining the task to someone else. Think a small investment of time now will save you hours hereafter.
If you put this into practice you will see how good it feels to work without interruptions, you’ll feel you can do more things, you will feel satisfied and more energetic.
Remember that doing two things at the same time, may mean doing nothing well.
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