There are do's and don'ts-rules of the business world. One of which is multi-tasking. Do I or don't I? Multi-tasking depends a great deal on you and the way you work through your daily tasks. Look around your home. Pay close attention to how you start your day. Are you: routine oriented, scattered, affected by the weather, or consistent with the time you arise? Chances are if you have a sink full of dishes in the morning, dread getting out of bed, can't find your glasses-shoes-phone, etc, or drive in a vehicle filled with debris, multi-tasking may not be a good way for you to work. You can strive toward it to a degree or establish new routines.
Multi-tasking can be a learned behavior. Referred to as behavior modification as coined by psychologist B.F. Skinner. Changing your behavior comes with repeated routine. Ultimately, turning a behavior into a desired behavior-a negative to a positive if you will takes time, diligence, and concentration. Listen to any motivational speaker or read their book or listen to their audio tape. Reinforcement or repeated behaviors is in one of their chapters although the time frame quoted-21 or 30 days to change-is debatable. Some even as few as 7. For those claiming they have ADD or ADHD, this may be of benefit as your mind naturally travels while you function. Repeating thoughts can be visited later or perhaps jotting them down to complete a task at a later time can be a method to remove them from the conscious mind. One has to harness this thought process. It is not necessarily a deterrence to undermine your success.
I believe if you have a clean house and keep the bathroom always ready for guests you are in good shape. Does that mean I vacuum and clean every week or day-no. What it does mean; there is a level of satisfaction and calm inside my house. I feel it. Visiting family and friends feel it. When sitting down to work in my ergo designed, white swivel chair I first look at my agenda. I have two monitors, a laptop computer, my fully charged cell phone, and work on an L-shaped glass desk; the left side has a top shelf. It holds personal items such as my family pictures, an orchid, and a large clear glass bowl filled with things I may need or want to look at on occasion. The room has 4 windows and a french door opening to a slate patio. The patio is lined with yellow blooming forsythias in the spring. In the winter, red berries fill the branches of the holly tree in front. I'm blessed. I've had many office spaces in the past with no view of the outside world.
Raising three children, taking care of a home, working, attending community events and continuing education, and reading have taught me the valuable commodity of multi-tasking. I don't feel it is for everyone but, I certainly know it has been a significant tool for my ongoing success. I have taught myself to become more efficient with multi-tasking. An example: viewing and responding to emails, while working from a software program, flipping through the intra-net to find answers, while talking on the phone and reviewing my agenda for the next appointment or to make an appointment. I still use a physical agenda and keep it open. A quick view displays my day, the current week, or I flip quickly to any time of the year.
Multi-tasking is about balance. It is about structure. It is about productivity and scheduling. It is about establishing a routine with the ability to flex and stretch toward a goal. It is a way to success.
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