Page 29 - Burnham Sales Optimization Blueprint 2018-2019

MARCH S.M.A.R.T. GOAL TIP: TIME IS MONEY

TIME MANAGEMENT: DON’T MULTITASK

Excerpt by Ian Altman, Forbes

Highly successful people attribute success to the ability to focus on one specialized activity. They
don’t rapidly switch around from one interest to another—they start a task and then they reliably
follow through with it. Instead of just “getting it done,” they achieve mastery or create something
truly complete.

Multitasking really means switching between tasks and giving less than 100% of your attention
at a time. When people learn information while multitasking, their brain files it away as the
simple acquisition of a new skill, which may or may not stick around. But when people give their
undivided attention to what they’re learning, the brain shows a higher concentration of activity
in the area of the brain used for longer-term memory. This can help store ideas in your brain for
longer, and make it easier for you to remember it on the spot in the future.

In addition, according to Christine Rosen’s 2008 journal article “The Myth Of Multitasking” in
The New Atlantis, multitasking unleashes stress hormones more so than focused attention. This
stress doesn’t only make you feel worried and uncomfortable in the moment, it also affects your
short-term memory. The stress of multitasking leads you to not retain the information you’re
trying so hard to grasp.

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