How to multi-task better than 99.99% of people out there
In my 20+ year career working with thousands of people at top org's like BCG, Groupon, Lazada, etc I can only remember 2 people that I think were as good as me organizationally. Here is what I do.
Context
So multi-tasking can sound like an evil word... but in my view it just comes with taking more responsibility. And responsibility can come in a couple of forms:
Form 1: You have a very big job (eg. CEO or CPO of a large tech company)
Form 2: You have several jobs (eg. I contract the last couple of years and on average have had 3 clients concurrently while also running my own side hustle startup. Plus I enjoy writing as you guys know.)
I have done both of these forms above... and in my view they are not that different in nature. They both require you to stay on top of a lot of shit.
And a friend from one of my client was joking to me last week and said something like...
"Ken... if you're managing all those different things.. how is it that you have time to do things like comment on Linkedin posts so quickly or reply to Slack messages almost instantaneously.?"
And I laughed.
And then I said.. "Well if I told you.. then I would have to kill you."
Then I laughed again.
Because i enjoy laughing...hehehe
And instead I told him... "Ok.. instead of telling you and then killing you... I will write a post about it."
So for me multi-tasking comes down to having the right system
And my system has these core elements:
Every client gets their own Chrome brower (including my startup and my own personal stuff like writing) and they are color coded.
2. Every Chrome browser is structured almost exactly the same with tab groupings. Plus they are tiled as you see above.
3. Also, I use 2 screens (a large monitor and my laptop screen). And I tile Slack, Skype, Whatsapp, and Line on my bottom screen, whereas the Chrome browsers are on top.
4. I work from left to right systematically and then top to bottom, ie top monitor (ie. Chrome browsers) and then lower monitor (message apps).
5. Each time I check a chrome browser, I empty out emails first and then Clickup notifications (and note that I use clickup in each engagement). Each time I check my message apps (eg. Slack), I clear out all notifications. I do this a few times a day.
6. I also use an Evernote task list with the key priorities for the day. And so I set the key priorities for the day there as well as my meetings and i cross them off as the day evolves (and in the order that I typically preset). Evernote reflects EVERYTHING I should complete that day before I go home (ie. cross it all off baby!)
7. After I set up my day... I almost do not think. I just execute like a machine. And i never really need to ask myself... "What should I do next?" I just keep crossing shit off and archiving emails and notifications till its time to go home.
The friend also joked..
"Well if you post about it.. aren't you worried that lots of others are going to steal your methods and get as efficient as you?"
And I just laughed and didn't reply.
Because I know that I can tell everything I do.. and it is the rare person that can work like this and at this productivity level.
Why?
Because its a mindset thing. I load, aim and fire like a Navy SEAL.
It isn't the way I was when i was younger.
I had to learn this shit in years like 2014, 2018 and 2020 when a neurological disorder that has bothered me for the past 8 yrs severely damaged my cognitive functions (ie. memory, ability to concentrate etc).
Holding down the levels of responsibility I had in those years with the state my brain was in... can be compared to learning how to be a soldier on the streets of Kabul. I needed to take organization and effeciency to the absolute next level.. just to survive.
Now i've figured that health/neurological disorder out... and am just playing out the game clock till i'm completely healthy.
But the structural & organizational foundation I had to put in place to survive those years.. will remain. Kind of like my own version of completing Navy Seal 'Hell week'.