For decades, we've heard about how crucial it is to be able to multitask. One problem: It actually makes you less efficient.
It's not actually possible to split your attention between two things. Think about it: How many times have you checked your e-mail or done some other task during a Zoom meeting, only to realize that you've missed everything everyone was saying?
Thatcher Wine, author of The 12 Monotasks: Do One Thing at a Time to Do Everything Better, tells Today, "Studies have shown that tasks take longer and we make more mistakes than if we had done one thing at a time.” So focus on what you're doing until you're finished, or can't get anymore done at that time, and then move on to the next thing.
Here are some signs that multitasking is actually working against you:
- You find it difficult to focus on the task at hand.
- You make a lot of mistakes or totally misunderstand a work assignment.
- You feel burnt out.
- You forget details from personal interactions.
- You find people asking for your attention.