Trying to multitask is the workplace version of spinning plates . . . except they all end up smashed! In my experience, multitasking is the fastest way to look busy while achieving very little. On the surface, it feels productive because you've got emails on the go, projects open, and calls happening, but the reality is that you're only scratching the surface of each task.
Lately, I've noticed a theme among my clients and, similarly, in myself. Many of us are in seasons that demand sustained focus and mindful energy. We are pushing toward something important while trying to protect our flow from distractions, self-doubt, and emotional noise. I often emphasize the value of self-check-ins and collecting your own data. But what happens when you are in such a driven, purposeful stretch that even pausing to reflect feels like it could knock you off balance?
The contention that underpins the book is that our most valuable resource isn't time. It's attention if only we could take back control of where we place it. Montminy saw this in herself while researching the book, swapping in and out of the many, many hats of her own working week. We are in a crisis of distraction, she says. We are constantly task-switching. Our attention has been hijacked in so many ways.
"It is, but I do think a switch can be flipped," Roberts explained. "But it doesn't feel good saying that, because I think there's a certain way you go about things and each day should be equally important. "Every little play, pitch, should be equally important. How you do anything is how you do everything, that adage, I believe in that. "Again, when you're playing a long season, it's hard to be that locked in every single pitch. But I'm not going to not try to ask our guys to do that."
It is undeniable that, for many people, a clear workspace correlates to higher productivity. Less clutter means fewer things your mind has to process at one time, allowing you to focus better for longer.
