Raise your hand if you are a proud multi-tasker! Or maybe you know you’re hopeless at multi-tasking and think that’s a sign your business will never succeed. 

 

P0 Entrepreneurs are conditioned to thinking that being a good multi-tasker is a crucial business skill.  It’s a commonly accepted belief that it’s a prerequisite for anyone who wants a successful (and sexy) business. But I don’t believe it and I don’t promote it.

 

I want to say for the record that multi-tasking is actually a myth. It’s something that entrepreneurs all bought into, thinking we could do everything at the same time. We wanted to believe it could be true - that we could get everything done, and that it could be amazing! And we are so hard on ourselves when we can’t do 5 things, really well, all at the same time! 

 

 

Let’s be clear about what multi-tasking is and what it isn’t. 

 

The way to figure out if you are trying to multi-task is to ask this one important question.

 

If the answer is “NO” then it’s completely OK to do 2 tasks at the same time. There’s no problem with cooking dinner while chatting to a friend, or recording a video while snuggling with a puppy, or taking a walk while listening to a podcast. 

 

The moment you have to give your full attention to one thing, it becomes dangerous to multitask. In fact, I would say it becomes impossible. Not because two tasks can’t be done simultaneously, but because they cannot be done well. 

 

The problem with multi-tasking is that as you add more tasks, your brain-power, attention, and purpose have to be divided. Trying to complete 2 tasks simultaneously only allows you to allocate 50% of your capacity to each one. And it gets worse when you attempt 3, 4, or 5 tasks at the same time. Even less of you is available to complete those tasks, and even if they can be done, they will never be your best.

 

It’s short-sighted to believe the lie that you are being more productive by multi-tasking, thinking you are getting your sexy business ahead, when, in actual fact, you are sabotaging your own efforts to succeed.

 

What does multi-tasking look like in business? One example is when you’re sitting in a meeting and answering emails on your phone at the same time. Sound familiar? If you haven’t done it, I’m sure you’ve seen it. Both of these tasks require your full attention but receive half. And it’s so easy for everyone around to notice. 

 

No entrepreneur wants to be known for doing half-jobs. Nobody wants a reputation for only giving partial attention to their clients in meetings. It is the opposite of sexy. Your client may leave the meeting OR they may hang around a while, but will drop you as a service provider as soon as they can. And they definitely won’t refer more business your way. They may even do the opposite, and warn people against you. 

 

My challenge for you in this blog is to consider the idea of STACKING tasks rather than multi-tasking. Stacking is an entirely different principle, but it gives you the exact results we wish we got from multi-tasking. 

 

Stacking is doing one task at 100% of your capacity - doing it really well and to the best of your ability because you can concentrate all your resources on it - and then being strategic by using it for multiple purposes.

 

Repurposing content is the perfect example of stacking. And a concrete example is this blog you are reading right now.

 

I initially sat down and recorded a live video. I focused all my energy and attention on doing it really well. I prepared properly and gave it my all, focusing 100% on recording the video. While I recorded, the audio got sent through and edited to become a podcast - at the same time! (These days you can do incredible things with automation systems.) That podcast then got turned into this blog. 

 

I did one thing: I recorded the live video. And I did it really well and then strategically repurposed the content, essentially doing 3 things at once, and therefore doing them all really well!

 

For your sexy business, you have to start by thinking about the tasks that are related to your field. Is there one task that will allow you to do more things, with less effort and in less time? 

Content Repurposing, and STACKING in general, allows you to work smart which is what all entrepreneurs are trying to figure out. It helps you get lots of tasks done at the same time, BUT they are all done well! It is a very sexy principle! It saves you time and effort. 

 

Most importantly it takes the pressure off. There is no more expectation to do 14 things at once, and to do them all really well. We all know that is impossible. So take the pressure off, because pressure is also not a characteristic of a sexy business.

 

Multi-tasking is not sexy. Putting pressure on yourself is not sexy. Multi-tasking is out and stacking is in! You can learn more about repurposing videos in my interview with Yong Pratt. Watch it here. 

 

We are working through 100 principles to help you build a sexy business for a sexy life on the My Sexy Business Podcast so check out the rest of the episodes to help you lay the best foundation possible for your own sexy business and sexy life.