Always Multitask for Self Improvement

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I think we've all heard from parents and teachers that it's impossible to multitask. And that's actually very true. When you think about multitasking, you might be thinking about doing one thing while also doing something else.

Maybe you're talking to somebody and also trying to write, or you're texting and also trying to listen to somebody speak, or you're working on one task, but you're also kind of like switching over to another task every couple minutes.

You might think that you're being productive and doing two things at once, but one of those things is actually suffering.

So while you're doing one thing, such as typing, your listening skills are not as sharp as they could be. Mistakes happen when you multitask in that way.

I wrote down my list of things that I want to do this weekend, and then I kind of sat there and thought, "okay, what am I going to start on right now?" And I decided I need to do laundry, I need to edit a couple of my blog posts and I want to read.

I really didn't want to do laundry and I was about to put that off. But then, I said in my head, I kind of want to finish eating my food, and then before I start working or doing anything else, I want to take a shower.

I made a deal with myself. I'd put a load of laundry in the washer and then as I'm taking my shower, the washer is doing its thing and I'm also showering. So that's two things down at the same time.

I'm not physically washing the clothes or physically doing anything with the clothes, but I am physically showering. You have to think about what two tasks can be happening at the same time without having to put effort into both of those things at the same time

Another example is, if my laptop is updating, I could just sit there and say, "well, my laptop's updating, let me scroll through Instagram". Or I could sit down and say, "hmm, what can I do? as my laptop is updating that I need to do today?"

I could sit down and read while my laptop is updating. It's a 30 minute span of time, and I'm getting two things done, and neither one of those things is suffering in quality.

Now, just think about any tasks that you need to do. First of all, don't try to do them at the same time if they both require actual thought and effort.

The second thing is think about how you can combine two tasks. Pair up two things that can go together really well and flow together really well.

And actually, if those end up being things that you do often, like, for example, if you often need to wash your hair once a week and do laundry once a week, then pair those two things up.

Before you get in the shower to wash your hair, put a load of laundry in the washing machine and then get in the shower and wash your hair. So now you're getting two things done and it becomes a ritual or a habit that you do once a week.

So that's the best way to multitask. The best way to multitask is not trying to be a superhuman and doing something with one hand, while you're doing something with the other hand. That's never going to work, trust me. 

The same thing can be said for money. You the sayings, "let your money work for you" or "you can make money as you sleep". That's the same concept. While you're sleeping. You can have investments or you can have a business running online that will produce results without actively putting your time in.

Have that mindset with money, time, tasks, goals, and habits. Think about how you can combine two things and make them work at the same time.