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5 Ways to Stop Multitasking in Your Craft Business

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Multitasking is defined as the behavior of doing more than one task at a time. Since small business owners wear so many hats, they often fall into the pitfalls of multitasking!

Today, let’s first look at some published articles about the downfalls of multitasking – then I’ll share my tips of how I quit multitasking.

5 Ways to Stop Multitasking in Your Craft Business - cuttingforbusiness.com

Great Articles About Multitasking

Ok, I think you’ve got the point – now let’s look at how I quit multitasking.

How I Stopped Multitasking

Time Blocking

Just like you, I have a full schedule. I work full time on this blog, Cutting for Business. I also shoot photography jobs several nights a week. I have four kids – who each have extracurricular activities most nights of the week.

The only way I can accomplish everything each day is through time blocking.

This means that I write out my day in time blocks. For example, I block out an hour for laundry, an hour to check emails, an hour to create cut file designs, and so on. When the hour is over – I stop the task and move to the next. All of my block times have singular, specific tasks in them.

I’ve written more about time blocking.

Scheduling Make Up Time

This was a mistake I made when I first started time blocking. block scheduling – I didn’t leave time to catch up on anything that I didn’t get done in the scheduled block. I now block off make up time daily.

Turn Off the TV

I’m guilty of having the tv on if I’m home by myself. However, when I’m working, I turn the tv off so I am not trying to focus on more than one thing at a time.

Put the Phone Away

During my work time, I turn on Do Not Disturb on my phone. My phone settings allow phone calls from each of my kids cell phones, schools, and immediate family members to get through – but everything else is sent to voicemail.

I also find it helpful to let immediate family members know my working hours and ask them to contact me outside of those hours.

Sign Out of Social Media

Let’s face it: Social media is easily to get sucked into. First, it’s a cute video of a cat. Then, some dance viral dance videos, then an ad for Amazon. Without realizing it, you look down and you’ve spent 45 minutes mindlessly scrolling.

To prevent wasting time on social media, I routinely sign out and only stay signed in when I am actively on a network.

If you are finding it tough to sign out of social media, use your phone’s settings to put a limit on social media apps like Facebook or Instagram.

These 5 things have made it easy for me to stop multitasking. I’ve noticed that by focusing only on one task at a time, I get more done in less time.

Tell me in the comments, are you a multitasker?

Eunice

Tuesday 30th of May 2017

First of all, thank you so much for all your articles but specially tgis one. I own a Etsy shop and I'm always multitasking, if it's not on my computer is my tablet. My 3 year old always complains of me not playing too much with her. And my 11 month old boy drains the remaining of my energy. I'm going to definitely to out this into practice. Thanks once again and God bless

Christine

Wednesday 31st of May 2017

Awesome! I know how it is, especially with kids. I found that when I stopped multitasking, things got done much faster.

Christine Mason

Thursday 25th of May 2017

I am a multitasker! As I write this, I am eating my breakfast. I own a store, so I have customers coming and going. I design and run my silhouette in my shop while receiving orders, making sales, etc. I am the queen of multitasking (or so I have myself believing). When I am at home, it's a different story. I lock myself in my studio and try to concentrate on one thing at a time. Love you articles <3

Christine

Monday 29th of May 2017

Me, too. It's been a bad habit to break!