"The shortest way to do many things is to do one thing at a time."
Sir Richard Cecil
There may be many jobs you need to complete before you finish up for the year and can take a break. You may be multitasking to try and achieve everything on your list. However, research shows that multitasking is actually over rated and effectively means that you may be doing more than one thing inefficiently.
When you are multitasking you are actually switching between two or more tasks and you are never completely present for the task at hand. This tend to mean you will miss things as your brain becomes overloaded. It can become harder to see the obvious things right in front of you.
Here are some of the common problems you may experience when you multitask.
- You may get memory loss and forget things as your brain switches between the activities
- You may upset people you are with if you aren't focusing on them and present in the moment, e.g. answering phone or email, texting while with people
- You may be putting yourself or others in danger if you are driving while texting, eating or talking on the phone
- You are more likely to make mistakes and miss important things
- Its harder for you to retain information
- You are more likely to feel stressed and overwhelmed
- Depending on the task you are doing it may take you 10-15 minutes per task to refocus as you switch between each. It can wastes a lot of your time.
So here are some tips you might find helpful to get you organised and focussed and ready for Christmas day.
Taking the time to write down all the tasks or projects that are in your head, that you think need to be completed, can help you decide what is really important for you, and your family and what has to take priority this Christmas.
Once you have everything down on paper, decide what are the priorities, and what needs to be done today? Starting your day with a clear intent or knowing what you want to achieve can be helpful in prioritising what is important and making sure it happens.
Pick no more than two priority items each days that must get done. Then think about your day and plan it into blocks of time, slotting in your priority, (must get done tasks) into the best time slots for you and your family situation to ensure they get done.
If you start to feel overwhelmed by a task, breaking it down into smaller steps may be helpful.
For example, if you have to organise Christmas dinner, break it down into the steps involved and focus on one task at a time.
Step 1 set budget
Step 2 plan menu
Step 3 decide who will do what,
Step 4 ring or email family and ask them to bring something
Step 5 make a shopping list
Step 6 go shopping etc...
With the remaining items on your list think about any jobs that could be delegated or family can help you with, either today or over the course of the week. Make sure you give clear instructions when you pass on the task so they know exactly what your expectation are and when it needs to be done by and why its important to you. And, remember to check that they understand clearly what you are asking them to do.
Try to organise and prioritise tasks that are similar on your to do list into groups e.g.: Grocery shopping for Christmas, picking up food gifts for friends, send Christmas parcels (things that can be done in a similar time period )
If you need no distractions for certain tasks, make sure that you allocate times in your day when there are the least distractions. Turn off your phone, Facebook and don't check or answer any emails, remain focused on the task at hand. You will be surprise at how much quicker you get through everything.
Setting a timer to remind yourself to take breaks will help you be more productive. Taking regular breaks and nourishing yourself with food, water, or movement is the best way to help you stay on track. Its important to break up periods of activity or concentration to prevent your body and mind from becoming exhausted.
Remember not to over plan your days and let go of anything that is just not that important. Set boundaries around your time and say no to others if necessary to ensure you do get things achieved that are important to you.
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