5 Steps to Improving Your Multitasking Skills at Home
Do you find yourself looking for ways to be more productive within your home life? Maybe you want to learn how to multitask so you can get more done in a day, spend more time with your family or make more time for hobbies.
Here are five steps to improving your multitasking skills at home:
1. Find the items you need to succeed.
To multitask, you must have the right items at your disposal. This could include planners, whiteboard calendars or even electronic items that do work for you (automatic pet feeding machines or robot vacuum cleaners). These will allow you to keep track of your tasks for the day and stay organized and possibly lower your to-do list.
2. Make a plan of action.
Takes some time to sit and plan out your day, week or month. Having a carefully prepared plan can assist you in staying on track toward your goals and lower your ability to get overwhelmed during the process.
3. Get your priorities set.
Let's be honest, not everything that you place on your to-do list is going to be equally important. Because of this, it's important to set out your priorities and confirm what tasks need to be completed fist. Doing this keeps you on the path you need to be to reach your daily, weekly or monthly goals.
4. Give yourself a break.
If you're anything like me, you probably get so caught up in the things that need to get done, that you forget to give yourself a break. Well, I'm here to tell you, we're doing it wrong. It's important to take a breather while multitasking so you eliminate the risk of burn out. Take a moment or two out of your busy schedule to practice mindfulness, stretch, take a walk or scroll through cat videos.
5. Don't quit.
Of course, you're not going to be the best multitasker of all time the first time around. However, the more you take the initiative to do it, the better at it you'll be. Don't allow yourself to get down if you make some mistakes here and there. Keep pushing and soon you'll be multitasking like a pro.
Prioritize Tasks
Step two on our list goes over setting priorities. Multitasking is a valuable skill to have. However, multitasking can be harder than one would think, and it's important to do it effectively in order to be productive.
Having multiple tasks to do can become overwhelming at times. It's important to prioritize and organize them in order to keep from working on low-priority tasks before the important tasks. Spend some time reflecting on what you need to do and confirm which are important and which could wait. Once you've gotten a clear view of how your tasks should be categorized, set out your list in that order or color code them to ensure things are done in the manner you need.
Here are some tips to help you go through your tasks without fail:
Simplify Tasks
I am no stranger to adding more to my plate than I should be able to handle. It's been a shortcoming of mine for as long as I can remember. However, over time I have learned that trying to accomplish too many things at once can hinder the process rather than help. To avoid this, try breaking down tasks into simpler and smaller sections. For example, if you are trying to get your home cleaned. Try to focus on one aspect of cleaning at a time rather than the whole room at once. Trash, laundry, toys and dishes - one at a time. You'll find that this process can seem less overwhelming than taking on the whole room at one time.
Eliminate Distractions.
Taking on many tasks at once requires us to eliminate distractions. This would mean turning off cell phones, finding a sitter (if needed) and possibly sitting in a room where a television would not easily be accessible. This can help you to focus on the task and provide the ability to get things done a bit quicker.
Set time limits.
Give yourself a time limit for each task you plan to work on. Doing this will assist you in keeping your focus and decrease the chance of you falling down the rabbit hole into one task that you're needing to work on. Once the timeframe you have provided yourself has come to an end, make note of where you are in the task (or if you have finished) and move onto the next.
By following these steps, you can effectively multitask and get more done in less time.
Try Mind Mapping to Enhance Your Multitasking
Even with going through all of these suggestions, you may still find yourself struggling to keep up with multiple tasks. If this happens, you could try your hand at mind mapping. This is a visual way to organize information and can be used for a variety of purposes, including taking notes, brainstorming, and project planning.
Let's dive into a few steps to mind mapping:
1. Focus on a main topic or current question.
2. Write down that topic/question on the middle of a sheet of paper.
3. Make some lines that go out from all around the circle.
4. Now, write down any thoughts related to your topic into circles at the end of those lines.
5. Connect bubbles that have related information inside of them.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have exhausted all ideas related to the central topic.
7. Review your mind map and identify any areas that need further thought.
8. Make a new mind map with the additional ideas.
Mind mapping is something you may have learned in grade school when writing an essay. However, it can be extremely helpful when it comes to multitasking. This can assist you prioritizing your tasks and see what tasks connect to others. Give it a try and see if your juggling of tasks gets a bit easier.
Use Technology to Help You Stay Organized
Today's world is filled with technology that can aid in our to-do lists. It can assist us in staying organized, setting reminders to keep us on track and can even remind of us of things we planned weeks in advance. All without having to open a journal or calendar. There are may apps you can download, products coming on the market and even websites now that can aid us in organizing our day-to-day tasks.
Here are a few tips on how you can use technology to help you stay organized:
1. Track your time.
There are a number of apps available to download that can help you keep track of how you spend your time. This can be helpful in a number of ways. First, it can help you identify areas where you may be wasting time. Second, it can help you see how much time you're actually spending on important tasks. And third, it can help you budget your time more effectively. Setting time for employment, household chores and even time with family!
2. Keep a to-do list.
Having a to-do list is a great way to stay on top of everything you need to get done. And there are a number of different ways to keep a to-do list these days. You can use a traditional paper and pen method, apps on a smart phone or even a system through a desktop or laptop computer!
3. Set reminders.
Alexa and Google Home may be a lifesaver if you're prone to forgetting things. There are all sorts of reminder apps for your smartphone that can help you remember things like appointments, deadlines, and to-dos. If you're like me and like having the information available, even if you don't have your phone, using a Google Home device or an Alexa can make creating shopping lists, reminders and to-do lists a breeze.
4. Everything in one place.
I have a tendency to separate my tasks based off of what they are for. One for tasks dedicated to the household, one for work and one for family requirements. To be honest, it tends to get a bit out of hand. I have found that one of the keys to staying organized is keeping everything in one place. This way, you know where everything is and you're less likely to lose track of things. There are a number of great apps that can help you do this, or you can use a physical planner. - One... physical planner.
5. Simplify your life.
One of the best ways to stay organized is to simplify things. Taking the time to declutter the world around you. Get rid of things that serve no purpose in your home or in your head can lower the chaos in your life. It can also mean streamlining your schedule and simplifying your to-do list. The less clutter and chaos, the easier it will be to stay organized.
So, if you're looking for a way to stay organized while multitasking your life, consider taking advantage of the many great technology tools available.
🧡Shine Bright, Kayla