Today’s guest post was written by Kevan Lee, Content Crafter at the social media management company, Buffer. Kevan’s approach to increasing productivity is refreshingly simple and offers a better alternative to multi-tasking.

How many browser tabs do you have open right now?

While writing this post, I had 18 tabs open. I’d like to say they were all for research, although I’m pretty sure one or two slipped down a YouTube wormhole.

Does this sound familiar?

It seems like my multi-tab madness is right in line with the status quo. We all love to have multiple tabs open at once, adding more and more as we find new articles to click and sites to visit. Pretty soon, it’s likely we’ve forgotten what we were online for in the first place.

You might say browser tabs are the new litmus test for multitasking.

The more tabs you have open, the more multitasking work you’re doing, and the less likely you are to be as productive as possible. The same goes for anything else that might distract you from your main objective. Working on multiple items at once is a recipe for inefficiency. Fortunately, there are some fun new ways to experiment with the idea of single-tasking–both in your browser and beyond.

1. Try the Pomodoro Technique. Focus on a single task for 25 minutes, then take a 5 minute break. The times can be adjusted based on your ideal workflows. The idea is to focus as long as your brain will allow, then to rest up with a bit of a lull before starting again.

2. Silence your phone. Or turn it off. Or forget it at home.

3. Close your email.

4. Make a to-do list.

5. Turn off notifications from phone apps and web apps.

I’m still taking baby steps toward single-tasking, but the early results are encouraging. I’ve found greater productivity in keeping tabs to a minimum, doing each task fully before moving on to the next, and blocking out my day so that there are set times for different activities.

What tips have you found to stay focused on a single task? Do you think single-tasking might work for you?

Click here to read the full article.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. – Some great tips here to increase productivity! As pastors, we feel like we can stay at our desks 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it’s never going to ALL get done. Ministry is stressful so it’s not about how you eliminate the stress – but how you MANAGE it. No matter what your current stress level is at, I have tools for you to manage it effectively and have a greater impact on the Kingdom work you are called to do! Click here to receive everything you need to manage the stress of ministry and train other pastors on staff to do the same. SAVE OVER 79% – ENDS MONDAY, OCTOBER 13th!

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About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.