Context switching is the silent enemy of work.
When you keep switching between jobs and thoughts, this is called context switching. After writing for a minute, I checked my email. Making plans for that new product…after you send this text.
This is the quiet killer of a day’s work.
It surprises me how often people fall for this trick. What makes you want to do more than one thing at once?
I’m not sure, but I do know how important it is to never make this killing mistake again.
I’ve learned that focusing on too many things at once is not helpful at all. Even if you think you’re getting things done, moving back and forth all the time makes it hard to concentrate, wastes time, and can even lead to daily burnout.
And I’m sure the “5-minute” email you’re writing will make you forget everything for 30 minutes.
I like to focus. I believe in putting my full attention on one job at a time.
It’s not true that my way is the only way to do things. Working on one thing at a time, on the other hand, has helped me a lot: it makes me more focused, helps me think more deeply, and lets me really bring my “A Game.”
Here’s what I do to stop myself from switching between contexts:
Set priorities: I use a color-coded calendar to make it easy to divide my time between family time, work, and social media.
Set limits: My computer and phone are in “do not disturb” mode 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so they don’t bother me.
Know how to use tools: A app keeps me from going to Twitter trends or any other site I don’t want to visit when I need to be focused.
Take breaks: Every 60 to 90 minutes, I take a break to recover and keep my focus.
What an easy idea! It has brought me a lot of happiness and success at work.
It has been very helpful in giving me back time, energy, and love for what I do. It might not be common, but it makes sense to me.
You don’t have to believe me, of course.
Try it out for yourself and see how it feels to work without having to switch between tasks all the time.
Here’s a more detailed look at how to stop switching between contexts in your daily life.
You might discover a fresh approach to your work, and the results will be clearly better.
It’s possible that it won’t work, and you’ll go back to jumping around every day.
But give it a try—it might make your day.