Hey leaders. It’s Tammy Meyer. We are here for episode 97. I am so excited!
Today is all about the 18-minute power hour you should be doing! Ha. Seriously. This is backed by science and research and you’ll find it in the Harvard Business Review.
Or you could keep listening here for my success strategy on this.
Why Multi-Tasking Isn’t Helping Your Direct Sales Business
Do you feel like you’re a great multi-tasker? It’s a bit of a tricky question.
The thing is we don’t really multitask. We switch tasks. We don’t typically do multiple things at once. And if we’re trying to, we don’t typically do them very well.
For example, it can take on average 15 minutes to get back to an original task after being interrupted, like with an email.
Our efficiency can drop by up to 40%.
Our creativity suffers. Our long-term memory suffers.
Again, we don’t truly multi-task with any level of high performance. If you are talking on the phone while working on the computer you literally hear less of the conversation. Your brain is always choosing which information to process.
Do you tend to feel like you’re good at multitasking? I used to. At least before I had kids. Some people say “How do you do it?” when we’re in a conversation about life and kids and work. I am quick to say. “I don’t! I can’t.”
Literally, my brain won’t allow me to do anything else when I’m with my kiddos. It really just produces a lot of anxiety for me when I try to do anything that requires what I call brainwork. When I need to use my brain and give something my full attention, I can’t do anything else. It’s just how I go about life and work while navigating anxiety.
I heard a saying recently that went something like “Parenting a child today is easy. Doing anything else while parenting is difficult.” Can you relate?!
I know some of you are thinking, I do my best multitasking when my kids are around. I have to. Or no one would have clean clothes and no one would eat. I know. I get that. I’m really talking about work. And it feels like there is a whole separate podcast episode here.
It’s no surprise that we’ve gotten conditioned in a world full of technology that makes us feel like we’re good at multitasking.
The watches that vibrate or chime to push the info from our phones directly to our wrists. This is not helping matters. The distraction alone! Right?! I know I’m distracted when someone else is prompted to look at their wrist while we’re in conversation.
So what’s a leader to do?
The New Power Hour For Direct Sales Leaders
An 18-minute power hour. Do you feel like 60-minute power hours are just difficult? Do you have good intentions but can’t seem to push through for the whole hour?
Well, cut yourself some slack. Re-think these 60-minute power hours. Why 18 minutes?
Because our attention starts to fade after 18 minutes. Tadah! The 18-minute power hour. My success strategy for you is to break your power hour up into three twenty-minute sessions. You’ll have 2 to 5 minutes between sessions to refresh your coffee, go to the restroom, and step outside.
If your attention is going to start to fade in about 18 minutes anyway, schedule it so. Keep your focus on one thing for 18 minutes. Have a different task or topic for each 18-minute session. Stop telling yourself you’re great at multi-tasking. Because what we’re really doing is switching tasks, becoming less productive, compromising our efficiency, memory, and creativity.
Start embracing the 18-minute power hour.
I want to know who’s implementing this strategy and what you notice when you do!
Click over to Instagram @yourcrazybigdreams and let me know what happens when you stop switching tasks and focus your attention and energy to 18-minute power hours.
The best is yet to come, friend. Always.
