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Confession: I am a multi-tasker trying her best to stop being one. Or at least reduce multitasking dramatically.

Why? Many reasons, however I guess the major one is that I was starting feeling I was not really “doing” any of the tasks and activities I was on. That left me quite dissatisfied, even upon the successful completion of very complex activities.

I am still not as focus on individual tasks as I wish to be, however I am realizing I have (at least) 7 good reasons to stay more focus on the moment and switch less frequently among tasks.

Here my list:

1. Stop worrying: it is proved that focusing on the moment makes you less worried. Thinking back too often about how could have done something differently or how you will handle a specific situation in the future is increasing the self-created pressure and the feeling of being worried. On the other hand, focusing on an activity will reduce such a feeling. At the end, our brain can think only one thought at a time: better being a thought about what we are doing in very present moment.
2. Increased creativity and clear thinking: holding on a single topic (or limited amount of them) is allowing your brain to focus his energy on learning about it, increasing his capacity to clearly solve problems in an original fashion.
   Even we do not work on the main topic which is keeping us busy, our brain is elaborating information and creating new connections, making us finding solution to complex problem. Raise your hand if you get your best ideas under the shower or while doing sport! That is the power of focus.
3. Increased efficiency: swapping among tasks takes you to a 40% prod loss. Period.
   The impressions to be able to manage multiple tasks at once, is unfortunately only an illusion: as said, our brain can manage a single thought at once. What will really drive an increased efficiency is the “OHIO” rule (only handle it once): start, complete and archive the task in one go is the best approach to boost to efficiency.
4. More appreciation for people and content (stop missing out on details). “Being” with the people you are spending time with will make you appreciate them better, making you identifying and valuing their strengths.
   Being really present at every discussion will for sure increase the amount of details you can remember: this will allow you to better build on information.
5. Reduced level of stress: The focus on “here and now” will dramatically increase the feeling of “being in control of the situation”, allowing you to manage effectively the levels of stress.
6. Increased chances of success: this is the simple and obvious conclusions of all of the above.
7. Sense of accomplishment: taking a task from beginning to end is actually allowing us to “live” the different phases of it (preparation – work out – closing), appreciating as well the closing as such. This is determining a higher self-esteem and a sense of “can do”.

So, that was my list! What are your good reasons for focusing more? ..or maybe not?

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