Today I was scanning a twelve page document to email to someone who didn’t have a fax.  On page eleven I somehow hit the wrong button and exited out of the document.  I was unable to pull up the scanned pages again; obviously my work had been erased.  I had been culling through my book shelf and pulling out dated books to get rid of at the same time and was distracted.  The joke on me was that I thought I was saving time by doing two things at once.  

But, I was getting more done, right?  Wrong.  Due to my unwillingness to sit patiently while I handled the scanning project in front of me, I lost the entire project and another half hour of my time starting again.  Both projects required similar brain channels rather than different ones, such as if one task was verbal and the other visual.  According to experts that was making my ability to focus on both a real challenge.  (Read more about how doing tasks that use entirely different brain channels can be done simulatenously: In Defense of Distraction)

So not all multitasking is inefficient.  If you’re walking to your office and notice along the way something that goes there, then it makes sense to pick it up and bring it with you.  But conducting two separate projects that divide your attention in opposing ways, is self-defeating and frequently leads to errors.  Rather than stumble into this problem again, I’ve decided to stop and ask myself if what I want to do next can simply wait a few minutes.  Or, does it have to get done simultaneously and, if so, am I willing to run the risk of error or wasted time if I can’t align my focus.

You can align your focus using your executive function, or self-control mechanism, of your brain and redirecting your attention.  But it isn’t an unconscious decision and can require hyperfocusing your energy to get both accomplished well.  Studies are being  constantly done to find the way the brain behaves best.  But it’s important to gauge the benefits or problems of multitasking for you.

Where have you found yourself redoing tasks because your focus wasn’t on it fully in the first place and how often does that occur vs. saving time and energy multitasking?

The Miracle is You: Kute Blackson, courtesy of Youtube.com 5:38 min.

Like O.J. Simpson at his trial, sometimes no matter how persistent you are to make the glove fit, your work just doesn’t fit you.

In a tough economic environment, it’s scary thinking of making major industry changes, (i.e. from a preschool teacher to a nurse), let alone changing jobs in your same field (i.e. from a piano teacher for kids to a piano teacher for adults). If you’re not in pain right now over your job and don’t have financial resources to be out of work for at least six months, I recommend you hold tight where you are until your finances will be supportive for a period of transition, you do know what you want, have the skills and talents to bring to the work, and have developed sufficient contacts to help get you the work.

But in the meantime, it’s time to find out why your job isn’t a fit for you and see if you can’t infuse it with new energy and interest to stay or begin the research process for a job change. Some key questions so you can make a list of your responses and begin to formulate a clear plan for your future action steps:

1. Was your job ever a fit for you? What are the best, the worst and the so-so parts for you?
2. Have you ever had some of the same positives (from #1) in other work you’ve done?
3. What specifically has changed and what can you be responsible for to improve your situation?

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I awoke this morning with my attention on one thing that wasn’t going smoothly and soon I found a whole bucket of issues to be unhappy about.  There aren’t many things to complain about in my life truthfully, when I come to look at it now, but in that moment, it was all I could see.   I couldn’t even remember then that it was just a brief “down” to my generally “up” feelings.  It could be the fluctuating cold and hot weather affecting me and the restless sleep I got last night, it could be something I ate before bed that upset my body, or it could be a “natural” propensity I have to sometimes view what’s out before finding my center again.

There are those who can walk into a perfectly clean, sparkling and comfortable office area, but notice the wilting plant in the corner more than anything else.   There can be a benefit to them having that detailed eyesight, for example the plant may otherwise not get watered.  

I’ve heard of a study that was done examining in different people the diverse reactions to the same conversations.  Some listeners heard ”X’s” while others were speaking “O’s” to them and visa-versa.    What does this mean?

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I’ve felt anxiety when I’ve seen a deadline looming, as my clients have and most of us have, at one time or another.  We typically panic unnecessarily because we either impose our own curfews on projects, or our deadline has suddenly arrived and we lost track of time because we didn’t put in the upfront planning. 

Here are a few tips to help you overcome the panic of deadlines and deal with them step-by-step:

1.  Decide if you’re really the one to do the task in the first place.  Is this a volunteer option or not?  Is there someone else more qualified to handle it than you?  You don’t have to always be the ring leader gathering the wagon trains into the circle.  If you’re not the  best equipped for the job, don’t have the know-how for it, or you’re able to pass on it and would like to—share the wealth and give someone else their turn.

2.  Find out the expected date and if there is any leeway with that date and time or not.  In either case, make a list of exactly what’s expected by the final date in order to stretch out your efforts in a systematic approach.  Be sure to consult your existing schedule and your availability to handle this.  Let your new list guide you rather than carrying around details in your head and causing you to unnecessarily worry it will get done.  Don’t let procrastination govern your planning and writing phase, for without it, you’ll be at the deadline sooner than you expected.

3.  Ask what’s really necessary to pull it off.  Are you being too detailed?  Maybe you’re missing the more important pieces?  Get clear on what’s needed and cut out what’s unnecessary.   If you’ve done #2 correctly, here you’ll fill in the time line for each important action.  A recent party for my Mom’s birthday had ten people emailing ideas back and forth (which was great for the initial brainstorming period).  But when there was any consensus, I pointed to it and built on it right away.  Others rallied and we could go forward.  Don’t get too stuck in planning, move into clear action.

4.  You won’t always feel like doing what’s in front of you.  There could be a myriad of reasons, including feeling tired.  Be sure to factor in extra time to allow these breaks and not have to go into pain and suffering to finish something.  If your situation requires a burst of energy output, breathe through it and be sure to give yourself recovery time after.

5.  Remember the old adage, “haste makes waste” and “the hurrier you go the behinder you get?”  Words couldn’t be more true.  When you rush, too many mistakes get made and important things are overlooked or too hastily finalized.  Find an effective rhythm, understanding and making room for the pace of others you’ll be working with.

6.  Play to your strengths.  Spend your time on what you’re best at and if there are others who you can consult with to short-circuit your efforts, no need to prove to anyone that you don’t need their help.  It’s all in how you position it.  If you want to show your competency and yet seek the agreement of someone familiar with your project, tell them you’ve got a few ideas on it already, but given their history with it, you’d like to hear their view to factor in with your own.  Whenever possible, recruit support.