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Step 1
Keep everything at arm’s length, literally. All of the tools and gadgets that you need in the course of a busy workday should be at your fingertips. The time it takes to retrieve items from a co-worker or the company basement add up like calories and those calories are detrimental to multi-taskers trying to cut back.
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Step 2
Learn to say “no.” There’s no more terrible label than “the company pushover.” The worst part is, you have to earn it.
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Step 3
Many search engines provide services including personal email, interactive calendars (and reminders when calendar events are approaching), widgets, instant messaging and the ability to surf the net all in one place. If your company doesn’t already have a program that provides these services—and providing you have access to the internet—it’s a good idea to sign up with one of these engines and nix pen-and-paper organizing.
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Step 4
The digital desktop is your friend. No matter what kind of software you’re using, there should be an easy-to-click icon on the bottom of your screen that will direct you back to the desktop where all of your programs are at your fingertips. This helps if you have twenty programs open simultaneously and the clutter is giving you a headache.
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Step 5
Prioritize. Those multi-tasking fiends who’ve always “got it together” are masters at prioritizing. The “live” customer (i.e. the one waiting outside your office or the one on the phone) is always top priority, followed by time-bound projects and then ongoing projects. If you’re aware of your priorities, it’s easier to stay on task after an unexpected distraction.
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Step 6
Take a systematic approach to your tasks, completing one at a time. Stress is inevitable if you’re switching tasks every couple of minutes to satisfy impatient clients and co-workers. Erratic multi-tasking is bad multi-tasking.
