That’s my new mantra…”Stick to the goat at hand.”  It comes from this article on Oprah.com, and you’ll have to read it to understand why I’m using it several times daily to remind myself not to multitask.

I guess I thought that multitasking was a necessity for me, and since I did it so much I must be really good at it.  Well, with all of the recent brain-study (thanks to my public speaking coach), I started to pay attention to what happens when I think I’m multitasking.

Yesterday I was in a meeting with two people and another one on a speaker phone.  Whenever there were a few moments that the conversation didn’t involve me, I found myself drawn to my phone so I could check my email.  If you had asked me before, I’d tell you that I was able to listen to what was being said and simultaneously skim my email, but what actually happened was that I checked out of the conversation for the few moments I spent on my email.  It happens to me all the time when I’m reading…I start thinking about something else and I realize that I haven’t absorbed anything in the last 4 paragraphs.

I thought I was driven only by the pressure of being overbooked and the desire to be as productive as possible, but according to the goat article, it’s my brain’s fault (again):

“It’s what we all know as multitasking—trying to pay attention to numerous things simultaneously. We claim to do so in the name of efficiency, but some scientists now think the real attraction to multitasking has a lot to do with dopamine, a feel-good neurochemical released when we’re stimulated by new things (say, an unread e-mail message). As Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurology, physiology, and psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, explains, “We’re all novelty junkies”—and multitasking, especially the electric kind, is a great way to get a fix.”

I think I may be a dopamine addict.

Admitting you have a problem is the first step, right?  As part of my ongoing self-improvement initiative, I’m going to attempt to stop multitasking – at least the kind that tries to use your brain for two different things.  I still think I can load the dishwasher and talk on the phone, or fold laundry and listen to a conference call.  But other than that, I’m going to stick to the goat at hand.

P.S.  Here’s a good post about multitasking from the Harvard Business Review’s blog.

A few weeks ago I went to see a public speaking coach, and today was my first presentation since starting meditation, yoga, and the other techniques she recommended.  I had high hopes that I would be able to speak comfortably, but I was still a bit apprehensive.

Today’s presentation was in Washington Depot, Connecticut, which is way out in western CT.  I was training 31 building inspectors, and it’s always hard to know what to expect with a group like that.  They typically have varying levels of experience and interest in what I’m there to talk about, and they had just had a big meatloaf lunch.  Keeping them awake was my main objective.

One of the recommendations from my coach was to connect with my audience as individuals, and think of it as a conversation, not a presentation.  This is supposed to remove the instinctual discomfort with the perception of not being part of a group.  So I went around to each table as they were finishing their meatloaf and explained that we would be playing a game and I needed them to think of a team name.  I’m pretty sure they thought I was an idiot.

Honestly, though, I have been teaching about building codes for at least 15 years, and learning about them for 20+.  When you take it one step further and narrow the code information down to just what pertains to doors, it’s really hard to get people excited about it.  I developed a Code Jeopardy game about 10 years ago, as an interactive way to.  Everyone who has taken the class has loved it, but I sensed that these guys would be a hard sell.

I didn’t let that stop me…I just acted enthusiastic and hoped that it would rub off on them.  It sort of broke the ice when one of the guys asked me for a place setting and a glass of water.  I wasn’t even wearing my apron!

So I just took a deep breath and jumped in.  I was a little nervous at first but I got over it.  This particular presentation is a little easier for me to feel comfortable with because it’s more informal and fun.  Long story short, they all stayed awake, they all learned something, and I think they were all pleasantly surprised (I was even asked to repeat the presentation for all of the Connecticut Building Officials at a separate meeting).  And I didn’t faint, die, or pee my pants.  Success.