Managing Multitasking in a Digital Workspace

⁉️How do you manage it all? ⁉️How do you find time for yourself amidst the whirlwind of meetings at work, coaching sessions, family time, gym and public speaking? This is generally the first question asked when people meet me. 😜My answer starts with , "I don't have it all figured out myself.", "I am work in progress", I have systems in place, but they are all adaptable to change. ✅The serious answer lies in strategic multitasking and meticulous time management which work majority of time! Sharing at the start of 2024 for you all as well, my take on balancing the scales, with actionable tips that each one of you can incorporate: 1. Prioritize and Plan: Every Sunday evening, I sit with a cup of tea and plan my week. I use tools like Microsoft Office 365 outlook calendar to allocate time slots for work, family, fitness, and self-improvement. This isn’t just about work; it’s about life. Remember, if it’s not on the calendar, it’s not happening. 2. Efficient Multitasking: I love listening to podcasts and TEDx talks, Blinkist during gym time . So, it’s a double win - staying fit while fueling my mind with innovative ideas and leadership strategies. 3. Tech to the Rescue: As a tech leader, I lean heavily on technology to streamline my tasks. Again outlook, onenote, Sticky notes, Azure Dev Ops for automating repetitive tasks save me precious hours every week. I used focus time, schedule send for my emails, my social media posts. I write those in my lunch/free time and schedule them in advance. Even this post, I am writing on a Saturday night which will go live on Monday 1/8 morning PST :). 4. Delegation is Key: I’ve learned to delegate both at work and home and be OK with that. It’s about trusting your team and family members to handle tasks. This not only empowers them but also frees up your time for critical thinking and strategic planning. 5. Quality over Quantity: Whether it’s a work project, time with my kids, or a gym session, I focus on making each moment count. Mom guilt is always there but again think about quality and your relationship with kids. 6. Mindfulness and Self-care: Amidst the hustle, it’s crucial not to lose yourself. I meditate in morning and ensure to have a ‘me-time’ that lets me unwind and reflect. Stepping away helps in productivity too. ✨ Here's what I would suggest: Start small. Pick one area of your life you’d like to manage better. Plan it out, use a tool to help you, and stick to the schedule. Remember, the key to multitasking isn't doing everything simultaneously; it’s about efficiently managing your time to do what matters most. Prioritize ruthlessly. 💬 I’d love to hear your strategies and tools you use as well. Let’s share with all and grow/learn together! #Leadership #TimeManagement #WomenInTech #LifeBalance #whyblendin #keynotespeaker #careercoach #linkedincreator #communications

I used to brag about how well I could multitask. Meetings, DMs, Slack messages, email, calls, more Slack… all at once. It made me feel productive. Important. In control. But the reality? I wasn’t doing anything well. And worse, it was disrespectful to everyone I was trying to “half-focus” on. Multitasking isn’t a skill, it’s a distraction dressed up as efficiency. According to a recent study, 45% of workers spend less than four hours a day on focused work. The rest? Lost in a haze of task-switching that crushes productivity, clarity, and creativity. And when you’re building a startup or leading a team, that fragmentation becomes fatal. Here’s what helped me change that: – Time-blocking > task-juggling: If it’s not scheduled, it doesn’t get done. – One screen at a time: Laptop closed for in-person convos, phone away and windows minimized for Zoom calls. – 5-minute reset breaks between deep work sessions: Let your brain breathe. – Clear agendas and decision-making in meetings: In and out. With purpose. The myth of multitasking is costing companies time, culture, and outcomes. And no… this doesn’t mean slow down. It means focus harder on what actually moves the needle. Being present is your competitive advantage.

I still remember the day my first company crashed and burned. Sitting in my office at 3 AM, surrounded by empty coffee cups, I was trying to do everything at once - responding to urgent emails, preparing for an investor meeting, and attempting to solve a major product issue. My calendar was a mess of overlapping commitments. My phone wouldn't stop buzzing. My brain felt like scrambled eggs. That's when I learned the hardest lesson of my career: burnout isn't just feeling tired - it's the culmination of poor time management destroying everything you've built. Here's what I learned about owning your time: The Hard Truth: Your calendar isn't just scheduling—it's your life passing minute by minute Most people waste 3 hours daily on low-value tasks Your brain has finite decision-making capacity Context-switching destroys productivity What's at stake: ↳ Burnout ↳ Decision fatigue ↳ Shallow work instead of deep impact ↳ Letting others control your attention Here's what works: 1. Oliver Burkeman's 3/3/3 Method ↳ 3 hours of deep, focused work ↳ 3 shorter, medium-priority tasks ↳ 3 quick admin tasks to clear mental space 2. The Eisenhower Matrix ↳ Stop living in urgent-important quadrant ↳ Spend 80% of time in important-not urgent ↳ Delegate or eliminate the rest ↳ Your best work happens outside of panic mode 3. Eliminate Multitasking ↳ Multitasking weakens neural pathways ↳ Single-tasking increases focus by 42% ↳ Block distractions during deep work periods ↳ Your brain needs 23 minutes to refocus after interruption 4. Digital Detox ↳ Schedule daily tech-free blocks ↳ Keep phones out of sight during deep work ↳ Use analog tools for creative thinking ↳ Reclaim your attention from algorithms 5. Biological Scheduling ↳ Match high-value work with energy peaks ↳ Honor your chronotype (I'm a morning person) ↳ Schedule recovery periods between intense focus ↳ Your biology doesn't care about hustle culture The Science of Time Ownership: • Each attention switch depletes brain glucose • Deep work activates default mode network for insights • Consistency beats intensity for lasting results The question isn't "how to do more"—it's "how to focus on what matters most." What time-wasting habit are you ready to eliminate? Share below 👇 - Follow me Dan Murray-Serter 🧠 for more on habits and leadership. ♻️ Repost this if you think it can help someone in your network! 🖐️ P.S Join my newsletter The Science Of Success where I break down stories and studies of success to teach you how to turn it from probability to predictability here: https://lnkd.in/ecuRJtrr

It doesn't take hacks to boost your #productivity, just a little #focus. Years ago, Carnegie Mellon University Alumni Association hosted a discussion on "Deep Work" by Cal Newport (https://lnkd.in/gNw4iQ5D). The conversations have changed the way I think about my own work style. I am interrupt-driven and absolutely *thrive* on multitasking. My colleagues will report that I can lead a meeting, transcribe its notes and action items, and be working on a dashboard in the background. However, I don't suggest this as a method of achieving your output. It left me frazzled and worn out at the end of every day. As my husband would say, I had binary operating modes: vertical and horizontal, when I would crash and fall asleep. Deep Work taught me that what I needed was focus. I needed time to get into that productivity tunnel that could yield more output in a few hours than in a few days. Here's how I have gotten it: 1. I followed the precedent of an anecdote in the book, where someone books roundtrip flights solely to get work done in isolation. I was on a plane on Friday and took my email from 400+ Inbox to 53 (just those pending actions next week) and over 40 Outbox (pictured). You can use Airplane Mode to tune out all distractions (if/when I do this during the work week, I let my colleagues know and ask for any pressing needs in advance) 2. Silence notifications. During work hours, my phone actually stops pinging me. The only breakthroughs are my family and I try to catch up their messages at lunchtime or when I grab water. 3. Use time-blocking. I've mentioned this in my one owner-action item-due date post. I know I have to change out a deprecated column in an analysis next week, so I've blocked time to do it this week. I can then provide an ETA to my collaborators. 4. Set the stage. Clear your desk, close your apps, and enlist the ambient beats through Lofi Girl. I'm way late to discover this, but millions have done their best studying or work to the sounds on this YouTube channel. I'm typically adamant about avoiding music or sound when I work, but this gets me in the right headspace: https://lnkd.in/guZwT38m 5. Ensure you're using your biorhythms for productivity. Mornings are great for brainstorming, as Subhayu ( Archie ) Dey will tell you - people are fresh and ready to ideate. I try not to do creative but rote work after lunch, when my body dedicates itself to digestion. I wind down in the evening by reading newsletters and planning the next day. If your times don't wind up with a workday, schedule the work like I did - I wrote this on Sunday night and scheduled it for Monday morning. You can do the same for work emails (to avoid disrupting your colleagues during off-hours, though they should silence those email notifications). Happy working!

I thought multitasking made me productive. But all it did was fry my brain. As an introvert, here are my strategies to stay focused: 1️⃣ Plan the day I block out time for regular tasks and leave some space for unexpected ones. Grouping similar tasks together helps me stay in the flow. When I have a clear plan, I know exactly what to tackle next. And I’m less likely to get derailed by distractions. 2️⃣ Recognizing triggers Distractions often come from cravings for quick dopamine hits. That instant gratification rush. I usually feel it when I’m stuck on a task. It’s a reminder of how social media has rewired my brain. Now, when I feel the itch to scroll or switch, I pause. I ask myself: ↳ Why did I get stuck? ↳ What do I need to move forward? Focusing on the problem often solves it. And the reward feels so much better than a mindless scroll. 3️⃣ Rise early I wake up between 4:30 and 5 a.m. It’s the quietest time of the day, and my brain is hyper-focused. I usually write during this time. Ideas flow easily, and there are no distractions. The best part? I don’t need an alarm anymore. My body just wakes up naturally now. 4️⃣ Stretch focus sessions The Pomodoro technique doesn’t work for me. Twenty-five minutes isn’t enough to get in the zone. Instead, I stretch my deep work sessions. At least an hour, sometimes two, before I take a break. 5️⃣ Create a Distraction-Free Zone My workspace is simple. Just me, my computer, and a cup of tea. No phone. No clutter. No snacks. A clean space helps me keep a clear mind. 6️⃣ Schedule communications windows Notifications and messages are constant distractions. But almost nothing is that urgent. I check LinkedIn, emails, and Slack at set times. During those windows, I handle everything that needs a response. The rest of the time, my focus stays protected. 7️⃣ Take breaks Breaks keep me going. I use three kinds: ↳ Microbreaks: Close my eyes, take a few deep breaths, and reset. ↳ Power Naps: Lie down and do nothing. I don’t always sleep, but I always recharge. ↳ Long Lunch Breaks: Since I wake up early, I take a long lunch. I exercise, run errands, or just relax. 8️⃣ Listen to music Music doesn’t always work, but when it does, it’s magic. It has to be instrumental. No lyrics. Classical, meditation, electronic, or acoustic, depending on my mood. It keeps me in the flow and lifts my spirits. 9️⃣ Park ideas Random thoughts pop up all the time. Instead of chasing them, I write them down. This way, I know they’re saved, and I can finish what I’m doing. At the end of the day, I go through the list. 🔟 Shutdown ritual Working from home blurs the lines between work and life. Especially when you’re self-employed. A shutdown ritual helps me end the workday. It’s a signal to my brain: Work is done. You can rest now. What’s your go-to trick for staying focused? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. #introvert #introvertsunite #focus

We glorify multitasking, but it often just means you're doing a bunch of things, poorly, quickly. Context switching is a silent killer, especially for founders. One minute you're reviewing a contract.   Next, you're writing a job description.   Then a Slack ping pulls you into a customer issue. By the end of the day, you 'felt' busy…   But made zero real progress. Here’s what’s worked for me, and why I don't feel that way anymore: ✅ Batch similar tasks.   Group things like hiring, writing, or strategy into focused blocks. ✅ Protect your deep work time. No calls. No meetings. Just thinking, building, and solving problems. ✅ Say no more often. If you aren't the best person to handle a task, it's probably a better idea to delegate it. But enough about me, how do you protect your focus?

I used to think “busy” meant “productive.” Until I caught myself spending half a morning chasing Slack pings, digging up the same file (again), and playing calendar‑Tetris to confirm a 30‑minute meeting. By lunchtime the real work—the one problem that actually needed my brain—was still untouched. Tiny tasks → endless task chains → plot lost. Sound familiar? Over the past few weeks I tried something radical (for me, anyway): single‑threaded focus. No Pomodoro hacks, no multitasking bravado—just pick one thorny task, stay with it, finish it, then come up for air. What changed? A quiet, almost physical sense of space in my head. Deeper synthesis instead of surface‑level checkboxes. Real accomplishment that doesn’t evaporate by 6 p.m. But it came at a cost: saying “no” (or “later”) to the dopamine drip of notifications—and to other people’s urgencies masquerading as my priorities. Here’s what’s working so far: 🔕 Kill the default ping. I check comms on a schedule; everything else waits. 📌 Name the one thing. Each morning I write the task that needs depth on a sticky note. It stays on my keyboard until it’s done. 🛑 Protect the runway. 90‑minute blocks, phone in another room, browser tabs closed. Still a work in progress, but the trade‑off feels worth it. How do you guard your attention when the world keeps shoving distractions through the door? Let’s share tactics—because “busy” is overrated, and focus is becoming a superpower.

A habit that made me miserable: Multitasking in order to get more done I used to think I was getting more done: code reviews, answering Slack messages, and tuning models all at once. Spoiler: I wasn’t. I was just mentally fried by 3 PM. Now, I work in focused blocks, and it's the best thing I’ve done for both my output and clarity of thought. Here are 4 tasks I stopped multitasking and started approaching with real intention: 1. Debugging I used to **try to debug while half-listening to meetings or glancing at notifications. Big mistake. Now, I block out time, close Slack, and treat debugging like a puzzle. I move faster, get fewer reoccurring bugs, and actually learn more from the process. 2. Building and tuning models Tuning models while reviewing pull requests or checking emails led to sloppy results and missed opportunities. These days, I give myself uninterrupted time to run experiments, review results, and actually think about what's working and what’s not. It’s made a noticeable difference in model performance. 3. Teams updates Writing reports or prepping slides while multitasking? It showed. Now, I set aside quiet time to really craft the narrative: what the data’s saying, what matters most, and how to tell that story clearly. My team gets more value, and I get fewer follow-up pings. 4. Learning new tools Trying to learn LangChain while also managing my backlog was just… chaotic. Now, I set a weekly window just for upskilling. It's way more rewarding and way less overwhelming. Boom! That’s it. If you’re in the habit of multitasking through your data science tasks, try switching to focused work blocks. You’ll feel sharper, move faster, and—bonus—you’ll probably enjoy the work more too. ---- If you love ideas like this, you’ll love my latest newsletter: 5 ways to manage feedback as a data scientist: stay calm, improve fast, and keep your team happy Link in the comments

Early on, I struggled with this 😣 As a founder, managing multiple projects and priorities is essential. But it's not always easy to balance everything ⏳ During the initial phase of building FinAcc Global Solution, I used to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, which eventually resulted in exhaustion and burnout. But over time, I realized that I must adopt a different approach to achieve the balance between multiple projects 🤔 After experimenting with various methods, I discovered some helpful tips that greatly improved my situation and these tips will be beneficial for you too: ✅ Prioritize ruthlessly: It's crucial to prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency. Focus on the high-priority tasks that will have the most significant impact on your projects. ✅ Set clear deadlines: Set realistic deadlines for yourself and your team. Deadlines helped me to keep everyone on track and ensure that tasks were completed on time. ✅ Use automation tools: Take advantage of automation tools that can help streamline your workflows, such as automated reminders, email filters, and project management software. ✅ Communicate regularly: Communication is key when managing multiple projects and I can totally vouch for it. Regular communication with team members and clients is essential to ensure that everyone is on the same page. ✅ Delegate tasks: Delegating tasks to team members can help you manage your workload more effectively. Delegating tasks not only allowed me to have more free time, but it also aided in the development of my team members' skills. What are your tips for managing multiple projects? Share them in the comments below! 👇 #ProjectManagementPro #BalanceStruggles #FounderLifeHacks #TaskMasterMindset #TeamworkTriumphs

"Multitasking destroys time for me." This hit hard during a recent #founder session. While discussing what "kills" time, one successful founder laid it bare: when he's reacting to what's in front of him rather than intentionally plotting his course, time just vanishes. Even worse? He often can't even remember what he actually accomplished. Sound familiar? Here's what's really happening when you multitask: - You're not doing multiple things simultaneously - You're rapidly switching between tasks - Each switch comes with a cognitive cost - Your brain is constantly in reactive mode instead of creative mode One founder shared how his breakthrough came from implementing a simple rule: do one thing. Not one thing per hour, or per day - just one thing at a time, with complete presence. The result? Looking back after an hour, he's amazed at how much he actually accomplished. Another founder's strategy? Use a Pomodoro timer. When it goes off, it snaps her out of distractions and brings awareness to where her focus went. It's not about the time management - it's about attention management. Want to really maximize your impact? Try this: - If you're grinding on something for more than 15 minutes without progress, stop - Create space between tasks (one founder calls it creating "space" instead of "time") - Eliminate, delegate, or automate anything that isn't in your zone of genius Remember: Every time you say yes to multitasking, you're saying no to deep work. Every time you choose to be reactive, you're choosing to be less effective. The most successful people aren't better at juggling - they're better at choosing what not to juggle. #Productivity #Focus #Leadership #TimeManagement