Is multi-tasking productive?

I had an important deadline to meet yesterday. I blocked out the day and appart from taking incoming phone calls and stopping to eat and drink, I did nothing else. It was a big task and it took all day, but by 10pm I was done. Once again it was a lesson in how a focussed approach delivers results.

So why don't I (and maybe you) do this every day? Well in my case some of the reasons are:

• Boredom
  
• That important phone call that can't be ignored
  
• Another task arrives that I can do relatively quickly (and so drop the original one)
  
• The need for company
  
• Tiredness
  
• A really, really interesting email arrives and I just have to open it
  

Those are just some of things that catch me off guard; do they sound familiar?

So now I have a strategy to help me deal with these, 'can't be delayed items.'

• Exit your email program; if it's really important they'll call you
  
• Cut yourself deals throughtout the day, for example, "I'll work till 11.30am and THEN I'll make a coffee. Delayed gratification feels much more rewarding.
  
• No web browsing unless as part of the task. It's wayyyyy too easy to get sidetracked. When I find something interesting but unrelated to my core task I bookmark it for later. The truth is that those bookmarks rarely get revisited.
  
• If another task comes to mind whilst on your core activity, write it down on a todo list for later.
• Take regular breaks (but see the note about cutting deals above)

This strategy works and delivers what Jack Canfield call 'The power of focus'; it gets tasks cleared.

Whilst thinking about this strategy I came across this article in the Huffington Post site that compares multi-tasking with multi-goaling and demonstrates that the much lauded ability to multi-task is rather overated when it comes to really getting things done.

The other very important thing I have realised about myself though, is that there are days when I find it easier to focus and other days when a butterfly might be able challenge my attention span. Sometimes I have found it most effective to do 'that' task' when I feel most able to focus. Planning is the key; making sure that you have enough time to pick a suitable day to do the task before any deadline.