Multi Tasking and Successful Entrepreneurs Are Like Oil and Water

If you are a fan of multi-tasking, or if you label yourself as a multi-tasker, then this piece of writing might upset you. Yes, there are moments when the need for multi-tasking is paramount. But when things really matter, just like in business, you might want to concentrate on one task at a time.

A successful entrepreneur doesn't multi-task, and this is a fact!

So what is "multi-tasking"? Simply put, it is doing a number of tasks simultaneously at a given time. This is usually done so that plenty of work can be done over a short amount of time.

An example that many of us do without even noticing it is listening to a news report while sipping coffee while reading the newspaper while keeping an eye on your kid or sibling while they finish their breakfast. Without even intending or noticing it, that's four things at once! Cool, right?

In the short-term, multi-tasking is okay, as long as what you're doing is fairly routine and technically simple. These things are so complex that an irregularity in performing here or there will severely damage the whole process. This is called "continuous partial attention", and it is okay for those everyday, mundane situations. However, the life of a successful entrepreneur, especially when it comes to business, is anything but mundane.

A successful entrepreneur needs concentration. For example, dealing with customers, especially face-to-face, requires your full attention. After all, people would not like it if you are taking to them while you are browsing your phone or checking your email.

The Switching Cost: What it Takes To Switch from One Task to Another

The effect on the human brain of multi-tasking and its effects on productivity have long since been studied by experimental psychologists. Studies have shown that there is a "switching" cost of four minutes to get back to maximum productivity in between switching tasks. Get back to the first example. It will take you approximately sixteen minutes to complete a cycle of multi-tasking with maximum productivity. For a serious entrepreneur, those sixteen minutes is too much to waste.

So do you still want to multi-task? Sure, a serious entrepreneur has a great number of things to do. If it were possible, there should be more than 24 hours in a day!

However, any serious entrepreneur should not sacrifice quality for quantity and should finish one task at a time. In the long-run, what you'll spend in time you'll more than make up for in productivity. What's more, you'll feel less stress, as your mind is only occupied with one thing at a time. If you keep on taking things one at a time, you'll see that, sooner or later, your workload has been significantly reduced and your end results have superb quality. Truly, this is what every successful entrepreneur wants in the end!

By Art Basmajian / Top Earning Marketers