21st century working seems to be getting more stressful than ever. Just remembering your passwords can send you into meltdown and with ever-increasing workloads, it’s not uncommon for workers to experience burnout and for patience and tempers to wear thin in the workplace. As an entrepreneur, being able to multitask is a key skill to have and, contrary to popular belief, it is something that you can learn. Here are some quick techniques to help you…
Practice – just like any other skill, the more you practice the better you will get. Examine the things you do during the day and pick a few routine tasks at first…maybe setting your printer to run, whilst you answer emails. It sounds simple but it’s amazing how many people will tackle mundane tasks one at a time, rather than think about how tasks can be done simultaneously. It’s really about thinking through your workload before you leap into it.
Recognise when you can’t multitask – this may seem counter-intuitive but if you are working on a particularly complex job, then focus on that and don’t try to juggle. Think about how a computer screen behaves. If you’ve got too many things open, it gets confusing and invariably your computer will slow down. Don’t overload.
Lists – if there’s information that you’re going to need every day, then make sure you can access it easily. Write down key information, make lists and keep them by your phone or computer. The ability to access information quickly is key to multitasking so the more you don’t have to look up or dig around for, the better you will be.
Take breaks – don’t multitask for extended periods. Over time you will get tired, anxious and start to make mistakes. After a couple of hours of multitasking you should take a break, get a drink, grab a bit of fresh air and then come back to it. This makes all the difference and your work will be more accurate.
Multitasking isn’t rocket science but sometimes we make hard work of it. Thinking through your workload, slowing down and examining the best way to do things, taking breaks and being a bit more organised are the key. You can turn chaos into control in no time with a few simple techniques.