Multi-tasking isn't all it's cracked up to be

Harry Alder interviewed 150 top business executives for his book called 'Think Like a Leader'. The details of the book aren't really relevant to the action point for this week's broadcast - but one observation he made very definitely is.

Dr Alder found that one defining attribute that the most successful people have is their universal ability to shut off from work as soon as they leave the office.

Bear in mind that these days 'the office' tends to be wherever you are, this is a trick that is very much worth cultivating.

Highly successful people learn how to compartmentalize their lives. They do it by applying total focus.

When working, they focus 100% of their attention on the job.

When with their families, they focus 100% on them.

When enjoying their hobbies - you guessed it - 100% focus.

Because of that focus, that ability to devote all of their attention to a single thing, they tend to be very good at everything they do.

Face it, most of us try to juggle a whole range of thoughts and emotions all at once. Even if we only have two things going on in our minds there is only space for each one to get 50% of our attention.

Put your 50% attention up against someone who is devoting 100% and they are automatically twice as effective. And the truth is that few of us are holding just two things in mind simultaneously.

This is not to say that you should be 100% focused on one thing all the time. That is where obsession lies. No, the secret of success is to move from 'concurrent consciousness' to 'consecutive consciousness'. In other words, you focus 100% on one thing AT A TIME. And when you move on to the next thing, you shift your sights totally, without allowing stray thoughts to pollute the new task.

This form of laser-guided thinking is amazingly effective and is very beneficial on those around you. After all, when you are at home, in 'family mode' how much better for your spouse and your children to know that they have 100% of your attention that trying to share your thoughts with all the worries of your day.

Thanks

Thanks to all of you who e-mailed my last week, answering my questions about this broadcast. Your response has been invaluable in helping with the rebranding exercise.

The three day challenge

Last week I challenged you to "take action within three days" and the reason I gave for this is that if you didn't take action within three days, the chances of you ever taking action fall away to pretty much zero.

So how did you get one?

Did you take action by the end of last weekend? Are you now engaged on some new course? I hope so. It makes writing this broadcast each week all the more worthwhile.

Learn to say "no" and stop draining energy

Put a plug in your energy drains. You are all given so much energy each day - physical, emotional and spiritual. You can replenish the supply from within with positive, enthusiastic thinking, but your world is filled with people and things who take from you more than they give back.

Start with your home. Get rid of anything that causes clutter. Clothes you haven't worn for over a year; ornaments hiding in the back of closets; junk that accumulates in drawers. Be brutal! All this stuff blocks your energies, so take control again.

At work do the same. Clear your desk and your files of anything that is eighteen months old or more. Archive it all and keep your immediate environment filled only with current, important things.

Don't forget your computer. All computers get filled with junk. It is time to spring-clean your hard drive.

People can be your biggest drain. Some folks just suck out your energy without even knowing they do so. There are many strategies to deal with them, but the most powerful is simply to say, "No!"

That's it folks for this week - as usual, your comments welcomed and appreciated, particularly with reference as to what you'd like to hear about. I do get quite a few e-mails by the way, and I read them all, so please don't feel shy about getting in contact.

Best wishes for the coming week.

Chris Davidson
Editor, Professional Speakers Journal
editor@professionalspeakersjournal.com