The Myth of Multitasking

Everything in our get-it-done yesterday culture seems to demand a mastery of multitasking. In the age of the smartphone, you’re never without access to a phone, e-mail, social media networks and news headlines. At any given moment, you might have half a dozen or more windows open on your computer competing for your time and attention. A few minutes waiting at a red light becomes an opportunity to check voicemail and return a missed call from a client while simultaneously reviewing the agenda for your next meeting.

But no matter how much you think being able to maintain a constant juggling act of tasks is going to help you get ahead, in truth, it might very well be what’s holding you back.

Success is not about how many things you can do at once; it's about consistently turning out your best quality work as efficiently as possible. In fact, multitasking is actually a very inefficient time management strategy that can seriously compromise your performance.

Why?

Although our society might be wired for multitasking, our brains are not.

Although our society might be wired for multitasking, our brains are not. Trying to work on several things at once compromises your brain's ability to function at maximum capacity. Each time you shift your focus from one task to another, you risk losing information from your short-term memory. In the end, you might end up putting in more hours, not less, and producing lower quality work.

Multitasking is fine for simple, low-brain-power chores like checking your e-mail while waiting in line at the grocery store or walking the dog while talking to your mother on the phone. But for complex work-related duties, you should be focused squarely on the task at-hand, not trying to perform a mental balancing act at all times.

If you really want to boost your productivity, start by organizing your day into blocks of time where you focus on accomplishing one specific job from beginning to end.

Learn to excel at single-tasking and get more done in less time.

If you are working on projects that span more than one day, break them into clearly defined phases and set milestones for yourself. Each time you set one project aside and move on to the next, take just a minute to leave yourself a brief note about where you left off and what your next step should be. This will help jog your memory the next time you resume work on that job, and you can get rolling right away.

By learning to excel at single-tasking, you'll reap very real rewards: getting more done in less time, with quality and attention to detail that speaks for itself.

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Best of Charlotte Website Design

The fundamentals of good website design are simple and universal: Provide a clean, uncluttered interface that is intuitive for the end user and that works seamlessly with meaningful content to offer an engaging and memorable experience. In reality, however, these seemingly basic principles are all too often overlooked in the development process. Below are five sites from Charlotte, North Carolina, that exemplify what can be achieved when these fundamentals are successfully defended and put into practice. These sites are proof that great design is not the domain solely of corporate giants and glamorous consumer brands but can be attained by companies of all sizes, in all industries and with any budget.

 

Elevation Church

This site offers a clean design that does a good job of providing funnels that quickly direct the user to key areas within the site. Nice features include rotating graphics (that aren't Flash-based, for the record) and a hidden video element that only appears if you are interested. In addition, they have successfully integrated various microsites that handle a live broadcast feature, blog and fundraising campaign. Also noteworthy are the ways in which the site allows those who opt to view the service online opportunities to participate in a traditional churchgoing experience. These include the “connection card” feature that allows users to submit contact information and comments, a function for taking notes on the sermon and a donation module for making a weekly offering online.

 

Leroy Springs

This elegant design captures the spirit of Leroy Springs, a company that has long been known for providing high quality recreation programs and services in the Carolinas. The site is well-organized, and the front page gives the user direct access to information about the company’s many recreational facilities. The attention to detail here is evident right down to the icons. Flash slideshows in each major content area provide an engaging overview of features and service offerings. While the banners could have been created without Flash, the site does allow the user to navigate without the the plug-in, and they provide alerts that something is broken instead of just letting it fail silently.

 

Arts and Science Council

Serving the primary purpose of conveying information about grants, programs, education and more, this site successfully organizes a vast array of details into a format that is manageable and easy to navigate. The detailed footer provides a secondary navigation system that backs up the main navigation if javascript is disabled. The front page is fresh, with a light background that puts the content center stage and bright colors that create an energetic feel. The footer on this page very cleverly and neatly displays a laundry list of corporate partners without creating a cluttered hodgepodge of logos that detracts from the main focus.

 

Noda Arts District

This is an excellent site that effectively captures the flavor of a very eclectic Charlotte neighborhood. Its core purpose is to promote all interests of the community — an objective that it serves well with content that is accurate, up-to-date and relevant. Although I personally am not an advocate of Flash navigation, the developers have also wisely provided a completely functional menu so that those who can’t or don’t use Flash would never know that it was missing.

 

Discovery Place

This is a high-energy site for a high-energy place. Bold blue hues create a dramatic effect and make the banner area highlighting the museum’s main attractions pop. The site uses Flash very well, but it would be advisable to provide an alternative image for the facility map in the event that the plug-in isn't available. The site footer is a nice touch that serves as alternative navigation so the user doesn't have to scroll back to the top in order to continue browsing.

 

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