I’m Not Great at Multi-Tasking and That’s Okay

 

During the years I worked as a recruiter, I would hear one big request from clients all of the time. They needed someone who was able to multi-task. But I learned, with scientific research to back up my assumptions, that multi-tasking is not a skill most people have. According to researchers, only 2.5% of Americans can process tasks simultaneously. And it can take 50% longer to accomplish any tasks when trying to switch attention back and forth.

In other words, our brains are not designed to multi-task.

I know I'm not good at it. And when I have too many things bombard me at once, I get overwhelmed quickly. So instead, I've focused my efforts on better ways to prioritize. It's completely okay to say that multi-tasking is not a skill you have and demonstrate why prioritizing is a better solution for your brain.

 

Keep a Calendar

To ensure all my responsibilities are completed on time, I keep a planner on my desk open to the current week. I use (and swear by) the Get it Together with Sarah's Scribbles calendar. The format is similar to the system I used before with just a notebook.

 

Take Time to Refocus

When too many things come at me all at once the only thing I can do is step back altogether. I need a moment to consider these things and then assign them each a priority. If I don't and try jumping from thing to thing in the heat of the moment, all of the work suffers.

 

Be Realistic

I know I can't be all things to all people. I can't do everything I want to do in a single day. So I try to be realistic about what I can do and manage my clients' expectations and my own. This applies to my social life as well, where it can be easy to say yes to everything.

 

Recharge Regularly

I have been recharging a lot over the past year. It's easy for things to get overwhelming right now, so the way I handle it is by retreating and recharging. I'll admit, I may have hermited more than is generally healthy over this past year, but I also need time to myself regularly even when things are back to normal.

You can feel confident that I will make your blogs a priority when you work with me. I consistently return quality work on time. Learn more by emailing me at lmlavoie@gmail.com today.