Working Smarter

#MoreSalesLessTime Challenge #2: Single Tasking


Welcome to the second More Sales Less Time Challenge.

If you did our first experiment the other day, you probably noticed how tough it actually was to not have email open all the time.

The truth we’re addicted to email. Literally addicted. Every single time we check it, a dose of dopamine surges through our system—and we feel better. Even just the thought of checking it out pulls us in, as we keep hoping for that one very important message to come through.

But, it’s killing our productivity. We think we’re multi-tasking, but are brains really aren’t wired to do this well.

Here's why:

Daniel Levitin, who’s a neuroscientist and the author of The Organized Mind, says, “So we’re not actually keeping a lot of balls in the air like an expert juggler. We’re more like a bad amateur plate spinner, frantically switching from one task to another. Even though we think we’re getting a lot done, ironically, multi-tasking makes us less efficient.”

Less efficient. And, not only that, but did you know that repeated task switching leads to anxiety. We feel more stressed. Our body releases cortisol —a stress hormone. When that happens, we’re less able to think clearly. And, we come up with fewer options for solving tough sales challenges.

But wait! There’s more. Psychologist Glen Wilson, while he was a visiting professor at Gresham College in London, found that constantly emailing and texting reduces your mental capacity significantly.

Women’s IQ dropped an average of five points. For men, the constant switching was catastrophic. Their IQ dropped 15 points. That’s worse than what happens if you’re smoking pot.

So everything we’re doing to try to stay on top of our game is actually making it worse. Painful to say. And, I know it’s true because it’s exactly what I struggled with myself. I was working harder, getting less done, feeling stressed out and having a hard time getting my head around challenging situations.

Obviously, there are no quick fixes to change this. Believe me, if there was a shot, an antidote or a cure, I would have begged to take it. But the truth is, we have to rethink how we’re working and ultimately change how we spend our working hours so we not only get more done, but also are smarter—for our clients and for us.

So let’s talk about today’s challenge: Single tasking.

What is single tasking? Doing one thing at a time for a period of time. Not bouncing from one type of work to another.

For the next couple days, I want you to just pay attention to how often you feel compelled to switch tasks—right in the middle of whatever you’re doing. Keep a little note page by at your desk. Make a mark for every time you do it.

Awareness of how fragmented we’re working is the first step to making change. Some studies today are showing that we’re actually jumping to something new every 2-3 minutes. No wonder our poor brain is so darn overloaded and we’re so stressed out.

Then, experiment with how long you actually work on a single task. Throw yourself into this, knowing full well that the more focused you can be on any one task, the faster you’ll get it done and the higher quality work you’ll do.

Have fun with this challenge. It can be a toughie, but it’s an important step in owning your day. We’ll talk more about this in in our third More Sales Less Time challenge—coming soon.

After a successful career in the sales world, writing five books, and speaking internationally, Jill is now tackling an even bigger challenge. She's focused on bringing the "millions in the middle" together to solve some of the biggest issues facing our country and the world. Jill truly believes so much more is possible if we can work together.