What’s the real cost of multitasking?
The American Psychological Association just recently released a study about multitasking and the effects of having to “switch gears” moving from one task to another. Interestingly, the more complex the task, the greater amount of time lost. Sounds simple enough, but at what cost does that come? Consider the cost to one’s business. Most business owners are elated that they can walk, talk, and chew gum at the same time. However, consider the amount of time it takes to re-engage in a project after the phone rings or phone calls are made, the UPS delivery arrives and you have to sign for it, and the paperwork keeps piling up on your desk and begging for your attention. Sound familiar?
Cut down on multitasking by hiring a virtual assistant
Everyday there are more and more ways to “become efficient” and cram more in to our day, but the misconception is that we think we have to do this ourselves. Not so! Yes, new software products and technologies have improved efficiencies in businesses without a doubt, but that just leaves the door open for us to take on more stuff. This is the very reason why I am in business today; to help businesses and business owners navigate the fine line between needing “another app for that” and doing what it is they love to do.
So read the article, save the brain space, and determine just what it is you want to do and delegate the rest!
You’ll find the article here: “Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching,” Joshua S. Rubinstein, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Atlantic City, N.J.; David E. Meyer and Jeffrey E. Evans, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., Journal of Experimental Psychology – Human Perception and Performance, Vol 27. No.4