Want to Join Multitaskers Anonymous with Me?

My name is Alison. I’m a multitasker . . .

“Hi Alison.”

Not long ago, I read an article in The Week on the dangers of multitasking. It helped me realize that I am a terrible multitasker, and that I had to quit before it killed me.

Here are some of the signs I was getting out of control.

1. On more than one occasion, I found myself driving in circles, lost in a neighborhood I had been to before, because I was on a phone call.

2. There have been times when I’ve had conversations with someone, had to stop and start over, because I was simultaneously checking my blackberry, and ordering a skinny-vanilla latte (oh yeah – iced), and had no idea what was just said. “Sorry, what were we talking about?”

3. I have used the wrong debit card, overdrawing my checking account because I left the house earlier in a flurry, leaving behind my “funded” card.

4. That same funded card was used to purchase supplies online, while I was emailing four people, one of them a possible client. Which was the potential client? I can’t remember, and I have no idea what I wrote.

My epiphany compounded when I noticed that multitasking wasn’t my only issue. I was also multi-procrastinating. Multi-procrastinating meaning, I was putting off everything, because there were too many things to do, so I’d do nothing.

In my “doing nothing” state, I researched this multitasking problem. The articles I read always brought up the differences between men and women. You may have observed one such difference, men don’t multitask nearly as much as women do. Not only that, but they are often criticized by women for not being able to multitask.

We wonder,

“Why can’t he talk to me on on the phone, while walking to a meeting, and grabbing a cup of coffee?”  Our girlfriends can.

“Why can’t he iron, feed the kids, throw in a load of laundry, and make breakfast?” Women we know can.

And “why can’t he write a report, return an email, and get himself fed?” Women do it all the time.

Well, some women anyway.

I confess.  I cannot.

Another difference I found is that men need time to shift gears. That’s why when they come home from work, they don’t want to get right into talking about their day, what they had for lunch, or hear anything about what your day was like. They need time (usually at least 20 minutes, maybe more) to decompress and readjust.

I thought about it and recognized, like some of them, the hardest thing for me to do, is shift gears:
- The shift from talking on the phone, to sitting and writing copy
- The shift from emailing people, to having to meet in person
- The shift from my bathrobe, to make-up and wardrobe

So, I had a “sit down” with myself.

I was going to stop the madness of multitasking and to try to “act like a man.” *gasp*  Me, act like a man? Don’t worry, I’m not going to take up scratching myself. BUT, Since there are not M.A. meetings yet, I knew I had to “man-up” and figure out a way to get better on my own.

First step: Admit there is a problem.

“I have a problem multitasking.”

Second step: Let go of the “natural ability theory” that all women are gifted multitaskers.

“I refuse to feel bad for not being able to multitask, the same way I refuse to feel bad for not being able to hip hop dance, pick the right color paint for my walls, or sing in tune.”

Third step: Make a change.

Here is what I did and what’s working for me.

I blocked out one day for phone calls, I blocked out another for email, and another for focused writing.

Then, I asked my business partner for her input on this new plan. She said, “Do whatever you have to, just get your sh*t done.”

I took Monday by storm, a day that would usually stress me out because of all the things I had to do in the week ahead. I tore through my emails.

Everyone who wanted to meet for coffee, get together for drinks, catch up and pick my brain, got an invitation from me to speak on the phone that Wednesday.  I had 10 calls scheduled by the time I got through.

On Tuesday, I blocked off time for “email and phone calls.” On this day I actually got through more emails, feeling less stressed about the writing I had due the following week.

I blocked Thursday for article writing and preparing my presentation for the next Monday.

My Friday was reserved for an in-person conference, no calls, no emails.

Is it going to work? I think so. This is my third week of non-multitasking and so far so good.  I feel focused, in control, and best of all – I am finally writing.

Do you have a problem multitasking? Simply taking out one work-related task, like phone calls, and putting them entirely on one day worked for me.  What works for you?