What a fabulous mix of business and pleasure for me this summer! I attended the National Speakers Association (NSA) conference in Anaheim, CA at the end of July. What an event! 4 days of amazing content, speakers and networking to help us professional speakers take our speaking businesses to the next level. It was an inspiring, but exhausting, experience. Thankfully, I was able to spend a few fun days with my father before the conference started, which included visiting beautiful Catalina Island, a place I've always wanted to see. That was a real highlight... well, and meeting "Jack Nicholson" at the NSA Banquet! :-)

If you are in the area, please join me this Thursday night, August 18th for a Book Launch Party hosted by Social Club 2.0 in my honor to celebrate the launch of The Ultimate Life Organizer. See the detail s in the calendar below. If you cannot make it, you can still order an autographed copy of the book on my website. It is so gratifying to hear that the book is making a real difference for the people that read it.

Back by popular demand, I'm excited to announce the fall DECIDE to be Organized Group Coaching Program, which starts October 18th. If you are interested in having your very own organizing coach, but aren't able to invest the money to work on a one-on-one basis with an organizing expert, this affordable program is the answer!

This month's feature article explores whether multi-tasking decreases productivity. It is one of my favorite articles. I shared it with my Next Level Business Succe ss ezine readers, but realized that I haven't yet included it in this ezine. Let me know if you agree with my conclusion. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Enjoy the last days of summer,

   
P.S. Welcome to the new subscribers. I am thrilled that you have decided to become a member of the LMOS online community!

• August 18, 2011 - The Book Launch Party hosted by Social Club 2.0 in my honor to celebrate the lauch of The Ultimate Life Organizer is this Thursday night, August 18th from 6-8pm at a new location - Chateau Hathorn (33 Hathorn Road, Warwick NY) (845-986-6009), click here for directions.
• September 17, 2011 - Lisa will be doing a book signing for her new book, The Ultimate Life Organizer, at Linda's Office Supplies, 22 West Main Street, Goshen, NY from 11-2. Come meet the author and get a personally signed copy of Lisa's book, which Linda's Office Supplies will now carry in its store!
• October 15, 2011 - Lisa is presenting Don't Be Afraid of the Big Bad Law: Using the Law as a Protective Shield for Your Business at the Mid-Atlantic Professional Organizers Conference in Bethesda, MD.
• October 18, 2011 - November 29, 2011 - Lisa will be conducting the DECIDE to be Organized Online Group Coaching Program, a 6-week teleclass series, with live calls on Tuesday evenings (and recorded for those that can't make it live and want to do it as a home study course!), for those that want to achieve results at home, work and in life in an interactive group setting. See the details and register here. (Note that we skip over Thanksgiving week).
• October 31, 2011 - Lisa will be presenting DECIDE to be Organized: An Empowering Process for Change for NYSUT (NY State United Teachers) Retirees Conference at the Thayer Hotel at West Point, NY.

When we need to accomplish many tasks, we do 2-3 things at once, sometimes more. We do this in order to be more productive. Multi-tasking has basically become the American way. In fact, employers often include "multi-tasking" as one of the desirable traits they look for in job descriptions. But is multi-tasking really leading to increased productivity?

According to some experts, the answer is no. Multi-tasking is generally less efficient than focusing on one thing at a time. Studies show it impairs productivity. It is impossible to do 2 tasks at the same time without compromising each. Supposedly, it takes your brain 4 times longer to process than if you focused on each task separately.

David Meyer, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor has spent the past few decades studyin g multi-tasking. His research shows that not only is multi-tasking inefficient, but also can cause problems at work, at school, and even, in some cases, be dangerous. Meyer explains, “It takes time to warm up to a new task, especially if both require the same skills.” Apparently, the transition time between switching back and forth from one task to another is where multi-tasking starts to result in decreased productivity.

In addition, studies show that some tasks that are frequently grouped together conflict with one another causing a decrease in productivity. Have you ever been writing an e-mail and chatting on the phone, and realize that you are saying what you are typing, or typing what you are saying?

Supposedly, it's impossible to do both of these tasks well because each requires language skills a nd short-term memory. What about reading your email and talking to someone at the same time? If you’re trying to actually read your email, as opposed to maybe just skimming the names in your inbox, conversation with someone becomes difficult because you’re tackling two language activities at once: reading and listening.

Meyer has also studied the effect of multi-tasking on students (stay with one homework assignment at a time, kids), and on cell phone use while driving (read: don’t do it unless you are prepared to seriously impede your ability to drive). To see some of Meyer’s work on multi-tasking, visit his page at the University of Michigan.

Some people feel that multi-tasking helps them to stay fresh and alert, not get bored, and ward off fatigue. Some even claim that they can’t help it, as their brain gets easily distracted and goes from one thought and task to the next. However, most experts agree that the average person does not know how to multi-task well and, therefore, should refrain from doing it at all. Jim Loehr of the Human Performance Institute has spent a great deal of time studying multi-tasking and writes, “Multi-tasking is the enemy of extraordinariness. Human beings, sorry to say, can focus fully on only one thing at a time. When people multi-task, they are not fully engaged in anything, and partially disengaged in everything. The potential for profoundly positive impact is compromised. Multi-tasking would be okay–is okay–at certain times, but very few people seem to know when that time is.” For more information on Jim Loehr’s research on multi-tasking, visit the Human Performance Institute.

Some people claim to truly thrive on multi-tasking. But are they really increasing their productivity in a quantifiable manner, or just giving themselves (and perhaps others) the perception that they are getting more done? If you are really getting things done in a more productive manner by using multi-tasking, fine, and good for you. You have somehow managed to prove the experts wrong. But, if you have too many balls in the air, you may need to re-think your strategy — unless you learn how to juggle.