I need to apologize for something. As much as I talk about being more efficient and getting more stuff done in less time…I realized that I have not been hard enough on multitasking.
Multitasking is the bane of modern knowledge worker’s existence. This is why serfs in medieval times worked fewer hours than the average person today (let alone us lawyers)
So let’s start here – NEVER multitask. Except for in the one scenario that I will share after (because like all good laws, we need an exception to prove the rule)
The Myth of Michelangelo’s Multitasking Mutants
Imagine if the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tried mastering pizza-making, skateboarding, and ninja-fighting all at once. Sounds chaotic, right?
In fact, let’s try something, pause now and get a pen and a sheet of paper. (I know…it’s 2023…who has a pen…but bare with me).
Write the following line: Multitasking is not a thing
How long did that take you? 5 seconds?
Let’s try another: I will NEVER multitask again
Maybe another 5 seconds.
Now try to write both of them at the same time where you write the first letter of the first line, then the first letter of the second line, then the second letter of the first line. Etc.
Feel free to stop whenever you’d like. It’s freaking hard right?
That’s because multitasking is a myth! And forget the fact that you end up forgetting both things you are doing WAY sooner than if you did them one at a time…
A report from the American Psychological Association highlights that multitasking can reduce productivity by as much as 40%.
So, Leonardo and co. would probably end up with burnt pizzas and some sore ankles.
So if you want to do worse work, forget it faster, AND waste time trying to switch focus back and forth…then keep multitasking. Instead I’ll be over here with the cool kids who get stuff done and enjoy life by doing things one at a time.
That’s what we are talking about today, 5 ways to ACTUALLY get more done in the same amount of time. Let’s start with the exception.
EXCEPT for Dual-Training with Luke & Leia
Now, while genuine multitasking might be as real as a lightsaber, there are ways to combine activities that don’t require simultaneous concentration. Ever thought of listening to podcasts while doing your daily jog around Cloud City? Or perhaps catching up on case laws while commuting in your Millennium Falcon? Someone smarter than me referred to it as exercising your brain WITH your body. So when it comes to doing two things at once – this is the (only) way.
Time-Blocking: Your Path to Triforce Mastery
Remember “The Legend of Zelda”? To conquer Hyrule, Link didn’t just randomly wander. He had quests, dungeons, and specific tasks, just like you have meetings, calls, and piles of paperwork. Rather than letting these things take over your whole calendar (and life) force them to fit into their own segments and time block them.
Time blocking is the concept of setting the same things back to back (to back?). So if you have client meetings, do them one after another. If you are doing consults, do them one after another. This helps you in a bunch of different ways (which we will go into later), but for now, let’s start here:
Studies show that when we block time for specific tasks, we’re less likely to be swayed by interruptions. According to a study in the International Journal of Information Management, frequent interruptions can lead to higher stress, lower productivity, and reduced job satisfaction.
But ALSO, according to a study by the University of California Irvine, when you’re interrupted, it takes about 23 minutes to get back into the flow of things
Begin with broad chunks—like morning, midday, and afternoon. As it becomes second nature, refine these blocks for specific tasks. With intentionality and discipline, you can set your day’s trajectory just like setting the DeLorean’s time circuits.
Embrace Your Spidey Flow State
And seriously, I SWEAR to you this is coming eventually. I am still waiting on feedback from the first group of people I sent it to and then it will be ready to see the light of day.
Until next time, keep it nerdy! And I will see you back here for the Losada Ratio and how it can make ALL the difference to your firm.
Peter Parker wasn’t always swinging between buildings or dancing emo-style (let’s try to forget that one). Sometimes, he was in the ‘zone’ as Spider-Man. According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s (common spelling I am sure. But seriously, if you want to learn to pronounce it – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeypK4zozNM) research, finding your “flow state” can amplify your productivity by making tasks feel effortless, much like Spidey’s web-slinging.
It takes time to get into a flow state, so while it’s not a guarantee…time blocking with HELP with this.
And honestly, there’s probably a whole newsletter to be written on flow states and how to find them for knowledge work…but to sum up a LOT of awesome insight and wisdom into something that is basically a throw away in the context of this article, you want to try to do things about 7-10% above your skill level. Maybe that’s another take of content to perform it better, maybe it’s reading a harder book that you didn’t understand so well before, maybe it’s editing your sales flow to make it that much more impactful to PNCs.
The Flux Capacitor of Your Productivity
Taking a page out of “Back to the Future”, remember how the DeLorean needed to hit 88mph at just the right time to time-travel? Similarly, Dan Pink’s “When” highlights that our own productivity engines have their optimal moments. Science suggests about 75% of us have more focus and a better analytical mind in the mornings (like Doc Brown’s eureka moments) and switch to a more creative gear in the afternoons (akin to Marty McFly’s rock-n-roll stints). Set your internal clock and plan your day’s journey with these optimal times in mind.
Like I wrote about before we have our report in EOS level 10 style meetings in the morning, and I do all of my coaching in the afternoon. That way I’m getting the right focus and analytics for the KPIs and you’re getting my best creative ideas on your consulting projects.
Alfred to Your Batman: Get an Assistant
Even superheroes need a sidekick. If Batman has Alfred, why shouldn’t you have a trusty assistant? They can organize, manage, and fetch things for you, leaving you free to strategize your next big courtroom win.
Seriously, paying someone else $5, $15, $25 an hour to organize things in a way that saves you a few hours a week (when you can bill $200-$300 an hour) is a NO BRAINER. AND it gives you more time to do the billable work (or the serious lawyer labor, etc).
Life may not come with cheat codes like our favorite 90s video games, but by debunking the multitasking myth and replacing it with 5 ways to use time wisely, we can surely level up.
May your billable hours be many and your wasted attempts at multitasking myths be few!