There was a time when being a good multitasker was a quality to brag about. Hey, look, I can make dinner, send an email, edit this report and help the kids with their homework all at once! But then, somewhere along the line, we started to realize that just because we can juggle a bunch of priorities at once doesn’t mean we are doing them all well.
Multitasking splits your attention in many different pieces so that you are never fully focused on anything. You may find yourself jumping from project to project, idea to idea, leaving a trail of half-finished tasks in your wake.
Research shows that regular multitasking may result in negative effects on the brain, such as impaired focus, learning, performance and even short-term memory. Break the habit of multitasking through journal writing.
How to Journal for Better Focus
• Before you do anything else, take an inventory of everything you are doing right now, whether actively or passively. Did you just throw a load of laundry in the washing machine that will need to go to the dryer in 30 minutes? Did you start emailing your boss about a meeting next week or packing a bag for this weekend’s trip? Stop. Put all of those things on pause for the next 30 minutes. They will still be there when you’re done with this journal writing exercise.
• Open your journal, and answer this question: “What kind of multitasker am I?” Do you try to do everything at once because you never seem to have enough time? Are you distracted easily, and do you a hard time concentrating on one project at once? Describe your personal pattern and how it affects your daily activities.
• Think about how journal writing can help you alter your pattern to allow you to be more calm, focused and effective? Can you let out everything that is on your mind and prioritize your day with Morning Pages ? Can you take short breaks throughout the day when you’re feeling frazzled to vent to your journal? Come up with a customized set of tools you can use when your multitasking is getting out of hand.
Are you a chronic multitasker that wants to change? Tell us your story write here!
Maybe our Create Self Space 7 Day Challenge ebook would help you with your Multitasking Reformation?!?