12 August Achieving More Than Multitasking - The Single Focus Approach August 12, 2020By ICI Administrator Aspire 0 By David Lindsay, High Performance Coach, Keynote Speaker and Former Athlete, www.davidlindsay.com.au We all get bogged down by work and give the blank look to the screen on the odd occasion. Today, I will share with you a technique that has been tried and proven to work at allowing you to be more productive in any given time. This may seem counterintuitive but it has been shown to work time and time again, which is the Pomodoro Technique. Using this technique, we set ourselves up to work in short intense chunks. It can take a little getting used to particularly when you are consistently working for 8-10 hours (or more) back to back. I will set out the system step by step: Set a timer for 25-30 minutes During this time, you have no distractions. That is no phone calls, no emails, no drop ins During this time, you work on ONE task and give that task your full, undivided attention Then when the alarm goes off you get up and move for around 5 minutes. Get the blood pumping and go talk to people, send some emails, whatever you have to do to get your mind clear again, then you do it again and again and again. Work this in a cyclical system throughout your day. The next step is to be single focused. This is the most important step that will help you be able to deal with items quicker and with more clarity than if you are trying to multitask. People that multitask report having more stress, less able to do a job effectively and can be easily distracted. Even those colleagues who say they can multitask effectively can’t maintain a high level of performance and well-being for sustained periods, and are less effective than someone who is single focused. My mum told me an old wives’ tale of a lady, let’s call her Cheryl, who started cooking dinner and as she was a multitasker, she would often do many things at once. Once Cheryl got the dinner into the oven she decided to go out and wash the car, but before she got a chance to finish washing the car the mailman came. Cheryl couldn’t leave the mail in the letterbox so she went off to get the mail and as she was there her neighbour was collecting the mail as well. They quickly got chatting and before long Cheryl was in her neighbour’s house catching up on the gossip and general goings on about town and before long Cheryl’s phone started to ring. She wrapped things up at the neighbours, and on her way home she realised that she had forgotten to turn the hose off and water was spraying all over the place splashing mud up onto her half-washed car and the side of the house. As she approached the house she could smell something burning which reminded her about the dinner in the over that was now burnt and after all that she missed the call. Due to Cheryl’s multitasking she had a burnt dinner, a dirty car and house and missed a call, so it isn’t that she is even half getting there, she is actually further behind than where she started. Moral of the story, do one thing and see it through until it is done, and done well! Pomodoro Technique https://www.themuse.com/advice/take-it-from-someone-who-hates-productivity-hacksthe-pomodoro-technique-actually-works Negative effects of Multitasking https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201606/10-real-risks-multitasking-mind-and-body Related Posts High Performers Cultivate More Powerful Traits It doesn’t matter what industry, the high performing leaders are far more effective at cultivating more powerful traits. 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