Are you trying to get lots of things done at the same time? Do you have a never-ending and overwhelming to-do list? Are you in a rush to get it all done, dare I say it, before Christmas!?
Everyone seems to be rushing around at the moment to get everything done before they can stop and collapse in a heap over the holidays!
You probably know exactly what I mean – rushing through your days, at 100mph, desperately trying to get it all done!
Sorry to break it to you, but you’re not really multitasking.
What you’re actually doing, is flitting from one task to another very, very quickly, and none of those tasks are getting your full attention.
I used to be excellent at multitasking.
In fact I used to think what a great skill I had, that I could do all these things (at once) and get loads done.
But it’s exhausting and overwhelming.
And after many years of perfecting (?!) this art, I was completely burnt out. My health suffered, and I was always pushing myself to do even more. I was anything but happy.
So I learned a different way of doing things.
The to-do list sadly didn’t disappear or get any shorter.
But what did happen was I learnt to approach things differently and still get as much done (if not more!)
Here are 3 tips and their benefits to approaching your to do list differently:
- Prioritise – look at your list and identify 2 or 3 (rather than 10) things you’d really like to get done in the day, and only focus on those. Chances are you’ll get more done and feel great about them.
- Stop multitasking – stop trying to do several things at once and slow down. Pick the first of the 3 things on your list and focus on that one until it’s done. Then start on the next thing.
- Turn distractions off – put your phone in another room, and turn off email alerts or anything else that’s going to distract you.
Note: When I learnt you lose 7 minutes of productivity every time you get distracted, I’ve got really good at switching off distractions. That’s because it takes 7 minutes to get back to the same level of flow you were at before you got distracted, even if that was for 30 seconds.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that many 7 minutes to lose
So how will you benefit?
You’ll definitely feel less stressed and overwhelmed. You’ll feel better because you’re being more productive. Your confidence will increase as you see for yourself that you can get things completed with less effort. You’ll sleep better and you’ll certainly have more energy.
It’s worth giving it a go huh?!
Remember: Start small and build from there.
Much love,
Natasha x
P.S. What are you getting overwhelmed by, that’s distracting you from the important stuff? By doing something different you will start to find a solution that works for you. Give it a go, what have you got to lose?
P.P.S. Send me an email. – I’d love to hear how you are getting on, or let me know if you’re struggling and need a little inspiration to make a start! [email protected]
If you are interested in working one-on-one with me, then I offer 5 FREE mindfulness coaching sessions every month. To reserve a place before they book up, CLICK HERE.
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The video can also be viewed here: https://youtu.be/snpjATn3NfA
Blog originally published here.
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