You Can’t Do Email and Talk at the Same Time

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and they are doing something else?

In fact, they are doing everything but looking and listening to you. The conversation goes on, and then finally they say, “Can you repeat that?”

It’s frustrating. Yet, we are all guilty of this from time to time.

Driven to Distraction

You can’t do email and hold a conversation at the same time.

(Maybe this is the modern equivalent of “chewing gum and walking” at the same time.)

Your brain is wired to do one thing well at a time.

Doing multiple tasks at once leads to many things half-done, and none of them done well.

Give your full attention to one task at a time.

‘Do one thing at a time and one thing only.’

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This is especially true of conversations. Whether you are working while talking on the phone, or trying to work on your laptop during a meeting, none of these efforts produce good results.

And when you do something else while you are with someone else, they immediately know that they don’t have your full attention. If you can’t be interrupted at that moment, by all means tell that person that you need a few minutes.

However, if you are going to carry on a conversation, make sure that is your one task at that moment.

Close your laptop. Put down the phone. And turn off any other distractions.

Be Single-Minded in Your Focus

Be mindful with your attention. Single-minded, that is.

Give your full attention to one task at a time. This is doubly as important when you are interacting with others.

Today, make a point to do only one task at a time. And give each person you talk to your full attention.

Question: How do you maintain single focus in your day? Are you guilty of multi-tasking when you shouldn’t? You can leave a comment by clicking here.