There is no doubt, NO one can multitask like a mom.
Cook dinner and play go fish? Of course! Make a doctors appointment while changing a poopy diaper? Done! Reorder diapers from the park? Yup! Read Goodnight Moon while using the bathroom? Sure, bring it on!
But when it comes to mainstream business advice, the gurus say “don’t multitask.” They tell us to focus on one task, turn off distractions and laser in on one thing until it’s done.
In fact, if you google “multitasking,” the first three articles are titled;
All of these articles talk about the research that shows that the human brain can’t actually do more than one thing at a time. Instead we switch back and forth between tasks rapidly. We can get very good at this, but the more tasks we add and the more complex the tasks become, the longer it takes our brain to switch between tasks. And this is what experts say actually slow down our productivity.
I have to admit, when I read this, I was a little disheartened. I think for moms, especially moms that are balancing work and family at the same time, multitasking is not an option, but a necessity. So, learning that we can’t multitask really burst my mommy-balance bubble.
I actually decided to table this post from last week and examine how my multitasking style works and doesn’t work through out my day.
What I realized about my own life is the things that are most important to me (like my kids) and the things that are most important to do well (like my work), are the things that I should NOT multi-task. Just like the authors in the above articles, I found I could actually get my work done faster when I only focused on one thing at a time, focused on it, finished it and then moved on to the next. This required some “to do list management” and a shift in the way I plan my time (which will be the theme of next week’s post!)
My conclusion is, if we don’t really multitask and what we do is switch rapidly between task, than “multitasking” should be about choosing WHICH tasks you can switch between most efficiently and realizing when you should not make your brain do the acrobatics and just focus in on one thing.
If I was going to find time to focus completely on some of my tasks, I had to figure out a way to double up and streamline the other more mundane tasks.
- I can put away laundry while watching the kids jump on the bed.
- I can listen to an audio business program while picking up the house after the kids are asleep.
- I can print preschool forms to fill out later, while I am checking in on my business’ social media presence.
- I can catch up with my best friend on the phone, while I take my daughter for a walk (that is a 3-way task!)
With some of those more menial tasks off my plate, my brain is clearer, I can focus more completely and get my more important projects done faster.
And this applies to focus time with my kids too. I may multi task while they are otherwise engaged, but I try to have focused time with each of them each day, where I turn off my phone and computer and completely engage in what they want to do.
I think the success of multitasking (like many other things with parenting and entrepreneurship) is all in the planning.
Action Step!
- Take a minute right now and review your current to do list. Put a star next to the 3 most important tasks that you will NOT multi task. (These might also be your big goals for the day or week)
- Write next to those task how much time you think the task will take you if you focus completely on it. This will help you know how much time you need to set aside.
- Brainstorm 4 to 6 of your mundane tasks that you can pair up with each other. Actually write the next to each other so you remember to do them together.
- Schedule physical time on your calendar for your focus time and your multitask time
- Leave a comment below on your own tips or experiences with multitasking and how you make the most of your time!
…and can I please add using the restroom to the list of things I don’t want to multitask!
This post is part of a series on productivity. Read about finding your perfect work space here and about overcoming a productivity road block here.
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Mindy Crary - Great post, and I was dying to hear your conclusions about multi-tasking, because I have experimented with the same thing – #4 is my biggie, to take the important, focus-sucking activities and block them out sufficiently on my calendar. But i was really proud of myself last night that I picked up my home, loaded the dishwasher and decluttered the kitchen while watching my favorite show (during commercials). I think the nice part about thinking you’re multi-tasking isn’t that you’re doing things at the same time, but for me, that I realize some things don’t take as much time as I originally thought they would, so they become more manageable.
Leona Mizrahi - I found this article to be super helpful as my man + I are planning to ‘try’ for our miracle in December.
I enjoyed reading when multi-tasking is googled, articles of anti-multi-tasking appear.
I think trying to be Super Mom does more damage than just being Mom – one day at a time, one diaper, bottle and book reading at a time. I think spending less money on your kids but more time with your kids greatly effects their sense of being. I am an entrepreneur and I am used to multi-tasking and wearing multiple hats in order to get things done and make progress. I look forward to the days when I can have one task – to stay present with my child, in as many moments as I possibly can.
Xx
Sheila - Megan, I applaud you for being a wonderful mom and putting awareness around not multi-tasking as much as possible. When my kids were little, I would pride myself in how many things I could juggle at once as that seemed to be what was expected of women. I am so happy to hear of the growing consciousness of being more present to each moment and prioritizing the important ones and letting the rest go. As you mentioned there are still ways to combine needs and still be present such as playing or exercising with the kids to get in the physical activities. I used to use my body as the kid’s jungle gym which was a fun way to giggle through toning muscle without a weight machine.
Sarah Steele | Managing You Academy - Megan, It’s great to make the distinction between the important tasks we should focus on and those we can multi-task on. The challenge, I suppose, comes in being clear which of the two buckets each task falls in. Thanks for the reminder! Sx
Anja - Megan, I like how you didn’t trust the discouraging research and did your own experiment
I love how you broke things down and incorporated your own priorities. I admire every mom, especially when she’s running her own business as well! And from the children’s point of view, a super mom is not the best time manager in the world, but simply the most present mom for them.
Ashley Taylor - Ahh multi tasking, such a skill and yet it can get utterly difficult when we feel like we have way too much on our to do lists. I do see a lot of similarities with mommas + entrepreneurs
We tend to have thousands of things to do (mega kudos to moms that are also entrepreneurs wow praise)
Loved your list of action tips! “Schedule physical time on your calendar for your focus time and your multitask time” This one made a HUGE shift for me!
x’s + o’s
Ashley
Yvette Syversen | Business Leverage Expert - Oh yeah – loved this post! I’m a huge huge advocate of focusing on one thing at a time until completion.
I loved your examples gave me some ideas as I do things around the house with my very very active 17 month old!
Beryl Young - I sooooooo need to work on this. With a million balls in the air between being a mama and wife, working full time, and building a business on the side I am ALWAYS multitasking. But sometimes (or a lot of times) I get paralyzed by the sheet amount of things being done at once. Or the number of tabs I have open on my browser, while I’m cooking dinner and watching the news, and giving my daughter things to keep herself occupied while all this is going on. *sigh* Thank you so much for the concrete action steps to take to try and really segment out the important stuff to dedicated time chunks. I am going to start trying this right away!
Tina Pruitt - Love this blog….as a mommy and as an entrepreneur! I also find that if I just focus on one thing and GET IT DONE, I do it faster and more efficiently every time. BUT, I also plan phone calls, listening to audios, etc when I am doing something else. I need to do this to get things done, but also, to have some DOWN TIME for me!!!
Thanks for a great post….xo, Tina
Kat Bouchard - What a great article! This speaks to me so much right now as I have a 2 year old little girl running around my house and I run 2 businesses! Sometimes it feels like nothing is getting done because I am trying to do everything all at once. Thanks for the great list of tips!
Megan - We are so hard on ourselves as moms sometimes! I bet you get more done that the ‘average’ person!! Thanks for the comment
Megan - Thanks for the complement Tina! I agree with you, if we don’t double up tasks, we will never have time for ourselves or the things that are important too us.
Megan - I am the queen of massive to do lists. One thing that has helped me is I write my top 3 must dos on a post it and stick it to the top of the list. I am more likely to be able to focus on a short list of tasks, but I keep the running list of everything so I don’t forget anything…I still have mommy brain!
Megan - I have only recently become a ‘focus’ convert…but it is working really well! I figure if we can leverage the mundane stuff, we can focus on the important stuff!
Megan - Thank you Ashley for such a sweet post, I am glad you found a few action items! I know what you mean by a thousand things to do..or WANT to do. I just try to take it one step at a time!
Megan - ohh…I am notorious for this! I’ll procrastinate something forever, waiting to have “more time.” Then when actually just do it…it takes 15 minutes!
Megan - I always think of the advice a friend gave me, saying “its called quality time, not quantity time” I try to spend really focused time with my kids where I am completely present, rather than spend the whole day with them, but be totally distracted!
Megan - Thank you so much for your comment! It easy to think you are not being wonderful mom sometimes! oh and I still pride myself on how many things I can juggle
But I just try to not juggle sometimes too!
Megan - I still struggle with which bucket things fall into all the time. And things like Facebook seem to always win out, especially if I am having a little writers block. But we are all a work in progress right!
Megan - I totally panicked because my post was originally going to be on HOW to multitask as a mom. But the research really shook me up! But I agree about that all the kids care about is you being present with them!
Amber - Good distinction here! There are some times when you can multi-task (e.g., reading a book while breastfeeding) and other times when a task warrants your undivided attention.
There was a big push years ago for the person who could multi-task… I think we distorted what it is to multi-task, but that’s a rant for another day.
I love this and am going to start those activities that I should focus-focus-focus on.
xo,
Amber
Megan - AH! I read the 4th Twilight book while nursing my first son. In fact, sometimes he’d finish eating and fall asleep in my lap after that 3am feeding and I’d stay up reading!
I agree that multi-tasking is kind of a misnomer for what we are actually doing. I prefer finding ways to not waste time
Ok…now I am off to ‘focus’ too!
Lacy - Megan, this is such an important thing to figure out! I wrote about this just recently, too, after an acquaintance said it looked like I had this work/life balance thing all figured out. I don’t! But I have figured out that multitasking on the important stuff doesn’t work for me. I can check my email or social networks while my daughter is playing, but I can’t write or do any kind of work that requires “real” thought! Likewise, it isn’t fair to her if my attention is totally elsewhere when she wants me to play.
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Megan - You are so right! I think it is all about getting as much done as we can, while being ‘fair’ to ourselves and our loved ones! I am renaming multi-tasking moms to Anti-time-waster moms!