At this point you have read Parts 1-3 of this series, and as a result you have generated a plan of attack for the upcoming week’s tasks. The truth is that there is one last Giant to slay before you can execute & implement what you have learned and achieve your desired outcome. This Titan is known by one name: Multi-Tasking.
 
Multi-Tasking wages an assault on your Focus & Ability to Execute.
 
Success is impossible without Focus & Execution.  In our modern era, our focus is under siege.  We are constantly being bombarded by external stimuli from our cellphones, data watches, television and social media.  Not only do we have to contend with the external stimuli but we have to calm the internal stimuli so that we can harness the full productivity of the mind.
 
I know what your thinking, “Awilda you have never seen me multi-task! I can get ten things done at once with out even breaking a sweat!”  Not so, you are  risking more then you think…..
 
 
Here is the Research:
 
Science suggests that Multi-tasking can actually reduces productivity by 40%. [1]  While the brain is arguably one of our most advanced organs, it can only really focus on one thing at a time. The truth is our Brains have a finite amount of attention and if we attempt to divide that attention between several tasks,  then our brain never fully reaches the optimal zone of activity. [2]
 
Not only that but it can also cause you to make unnecessary mistakes, miss important information and cues.  Multitasking has also been show to effect short term & working memory such that problem solving & creativity can be hindered. [3]
 
 
I know your thinking: “Well how bad could it really be?” One study found that the act of multi-tasking, especially in men, had the effect of lowering the subjects IQ. 
If it lowered your IQ 1 or 2 points,  I wouldn’t even mention this side effect; however, one study showed that Multitasking lowered the subjects IQ by 15 points!!!  As a result multi-tasking effectively reduced the subjects intellectual processing ability to the level of an 8 year old child! [4]
 
Doctor Adam Gazzaley,  discovered an interesting correlation between Multi-tasking and decline in working memory. One might dismiss the study with the notion that the more we do the more we have to remember; however, Dr. Gazzaley notes, “findings suggest that the negative impact of multitasking on working memory is not necessarily a memory problem, per se, but the result of an interaction between attention and memory.”[5]
 
The truth is to be successful we want to minimize the number of times we have to come back to a particular tasks. The quicker we can knock out a specific task the quicker we can accomplish the true success we seek.
 
 
CLEARLY….
 
Multi-tasking is the enemy.  Thankfully you have already learned the tactics in the first 3 parts of this series to SLAY THE MULTI-TASKING DRAGON!! I want to share one last tip with you that can really help you to stay the course and avoid slipping back into this dangerous and productivity zapping habit.
 
 
The O.H.I.O Method --
 
O.H.I.O. stands for “Only Handle it Once”.  Now this does not mean you are going to finish each task in one fell swoop the first time you undertake it.  Instead this method helps to underscore all of the previous skills you have learned through out this series.
 
The goal is that each task you intend to work on during a given day has the: only handle it once rule, applied to it.  Even if you only plan to spend 30 minutes on a particular task, make sure that is a consecutive & uninterrupted 30 minutes.  The O.H.I.O. method helps us remember why we are operating under a singular focus in the moment. It also helps to prevent us from trying to divide our attention and compromise our productivity.  
 
Once you are done with a task for the day you, you can move on to the next task with confidence & peace of mind.  
 
Now that you have an arsenal of secret weapons to help you stay on Task and maximize your efficiency, YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY BECOME A 1st Degree TIME NINJA!!!
 
Remember these tools are always available to you here at www.AwildaRivera.com. Feel free to comeback to the site and review these concepts as often as you need to, share the information with your friends, and apply the tips to how you operate. You will definitely see an increase in efficiency, productivity, and task completion.
 
Did you miss Parts 1-3?  Check out the whole series here!

THANKS FOR READING!!! Until Next time you TIME NINJAS!!!

xo,
Awilda Rivera, JD CC RYT-200



[1] http://www.apa.org/research/action/multitask.aspx

[2] http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20707868,00.html#you-re-not-really-multitasking-0

[3] http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/multitasking-a-medical-and-mental-hazard-201201074063

[4] https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/10/08/multitasking-damages-your-brain-and-career-new-studies-suggest/#681deefb56ee (citing University of London Study)

[5] https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2011/04/9676/ucsf-study-multitasking-reveals-switching-glitch-aging-brain