Volume 1, Issue 2
hen is
the best time to get organized? Any time is a good time, but
summer may have an advantage. Many of us will be returning from
vacations, when we have a fresh perspective, and can make decisions
more easily. Have an organized summer!
Multitasking, the ability to perform multiple
tasks simultaneously, has become a common way of life. Thanks
to technology and automation, multitasking is made possible.
Yet it may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Is multitasking
always productive?
The answer to this question is yes and no—depending
on what activities are involved. A few examples of effective
multitasking include listening to voicemail while labels are
printing on the computer; skimming the newspaper while you wait
for the carpool; cooking dinner and doing a load of wash; balancing
the checking account while running maintenance on your computer.
While multitasking may be a fine coping skill,
doing so constantly will take its toll. You may notice your
ability to concentrate and focus is lessened. You may experience
fatigue that is beyond the result of working hard, called burnout.
You may see your relationships begin to suffer. While the idea
of multitasking is to save time and get more done, it can backfire
and do more harm than good if not used selectively. So, when
not to multitask?
During phone calls
Have you ever been on a call, and feel like it’s going
nowhere? You hang up, wondering why you don’t feel connected.
Chances are multitasking was the culprit! Usually you can hear
it in the background—typing away, washing dishes. Or maybe
it was you that answered the phone absentmindedly and continued
to watch TV while ‘listening’. Don’t forget to
use voicemail to your advantage and return the call when you
can be ‘all’ there.
During meetings
Turn off the cell phone! They’ll live without you for the
next hour. If you can’t do this, at least leave the room
to handle the call so others may continue the meeting without
distraction. Your mom would say, "remember your manners".
During conversations
How many times does someone speak, and you only half-listen,
still working away on your latest project. As he/she finishes
the story, you wonder what the point was and have no significant
comment. Just listening can be helpful--especially for those
needing to vent their frustrations vs. getting advice. But people
generally can tell when they’ve been heard; they sense
your attentiveness. If you value your relationships, give that
person some of your precious time. Focused listening will save
time in the long run and enhance relationships.
During activities that require focus and concentration
When you’re writing an important proposal, it’s not
time to watch TV. When you’re giving instructions to your
assistant, it’s not time to clean the top of your desk.
Avoid multitasking during financial transactions. The fraction
of time you may gain is lost if even a small mistake is made.
Having to make ‘fix it’ calls to the bank, credit
card company, broker, or vendors are just not worth it.
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Single tasking
Yes, do one thing at a time! Not a novel concept, really; Mozart
said "The shorter way to do many things is to do only one
thing at a time." We may lose sight of this idea when we
become addicted to multitasking. When you walk the dog, just walk
the dog. Don’t take your cell phone. Those ‘urgent’
phone calls can wait. For now, just notice the fresh air, the
sense of freedom you feel watching Doggie-boy run. Watch the sunset,
and just watch the sunset! (Okay, you can have an adult beverage
while you watch.) Practice letting yourself just ‘be’.
Have you become addicted to email? I suggest checking
email 2-3 times a day. The “got mail” voice can be turned
off, and without the distraction, I guarantee you will get more
done. I happen to like email, but have noticed that a quick e-check
is rarely that. So I devised a way to reward myself for ‘good
behavior’. Instead of checking email as soon as I sit down,
I work on the top priority first. When my creativity is fading,
or a certain amount of time has passed, I allow myself the ‘fun’
of reading and responding to mail.
While multitasking is here to stay, it’s extremely
important to get a respite from to-dos. Be sure to plan regular
breaks and vacations. Leave a succinct message saying when you
will return, and lose the thought that you need to be available
24/7. Don’t let multitasking complicate your life. Know when
to use it, and when to let things be.
And now for your enjoyment, listen, just
listen, to The Beatles, “Let it Be.”
Have you seen the hottest column in The Contra
Costa Times? Organizing topics from garages to messy mates
are revealed in my Get Organized column. Look for it twice
monthly on Saturdays, in the Home & Garden section. You can
also view previous columns @ www.marylynnemurray.com.
After years of dissatisfaction with calendars and planners,
I finally found one that works: Time/Design. Using traditional
planners, I had to adapt to their format, which always included
time slots for every hour of the day. Time/Design is sophisticated
enough to absorb the complexities of a busy life, yet flexible
enough to let me "do it my way". It helps me manage
projects like nothing else has. When you purchase a Time/Design
system, you receive free lifetime support. Their one-day seminars
include more than time management theory; you’ll walk away
with practical knowledge. Visit www.timedesign.com.
“Dost thou love life? Then do not waste time, for
that’s the stuff that life is made of.”
—Benjamin Franklin
“No matter what you have
done to this moment, you get 24 brand new hours to spend
each day.”
—Brian Tracy
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