November 20 2022
The mobile technology revolution has completely eliminated the single tasking we remember from many of our pre-Palm and pre-Blackberry days. I never want to go back to that time, but rather adjust our life — and more importantly — our brain.
Before I get into single tasking, here are facts from people much smarter than me. (Don't believe me? Google it!) Multitasking decreases your productivity by 40%, lowers your IQ by 17% and shrinks your brain by reducing density in area that controls cognitive and emotional control.
Please re-read this section and think about yourself. I did while writing this — scary, huh?
So what is our plan to keep our brain from shrinking, be dumber and raise our productivity? I personally practice single tasking in spurts, and will share how in my next article. In the meantime, try these actionable steps:
I know most of you are REALTORS® and will quickly argue multitasking is part of doing business. I will partially agree — but let's find a way to turn it off and on as needed to be successful.
Personal note: After I finished writing this article and before I did my proofread, I checked my computer and phone. I answered three emails, responded to two text messages, and read a few news and weather alerts. Oh, I need help, too!
Dick Betts is a national speaker, trainer and consultant. Learn more at www.DickBetts.com