Overcome Self Doubt with One Word

In nearly every Cave and all over our website we talk about practicing Monotasking.

We encourage one task at a time and push really hard to make that the priority. And so, when you get sidetracked or catch yourself task switching, you may judge yourself. You’re hard on yourself. Harder than you are on anyone else in your life.

Ugh I’m so stupid.
Jeez I can’t focus.
Whew I am such a failure.

But you’re human.
We ALL do it (yes, me too).
Our brains want to find something pleasurable. It tells us to procrastinate on hard tasks and stop hard work.

But the trick to become a high performer is to get back on track faster. One way to do that is to overcome negative self talk.

One word can reframe negative talk and remind you that there’s another story happening.

Use the word “but.”
Add it to whatever you’re thinking. It’s advice from habit expert and author James Clear.
What happens is that word subtly negates the self talk. It creates room for positivity, growth, and change.

“I’ll never be able to focus, but I could keep practicing and get better at it.”
“I’m stupid, but I’m also new at this and every bigger feels stupid.”
“I’m a failure, but I’m learning so much so fast.”

When you hear that voice, capture it.
Write it down.
And then add a “but” and change the story.

• • •

A quick post-script about multitasking and another way to get back on track faster:
First of all, multitasking is not a real thing.
Researchers have started calling it “continuous partial attention.” You’re just switching from one task to another with partial attention while you’re trying to remember everything you’re trying to do all at once. It’s overwhelming. And while it might feel productive, it’s very inefficient. It takes a lot of energy to switch tasks and change your focus.
But it’s also very normal to try and do.
We’ve been conditioned to try and be and productive as possible. And having 30 tabs open, 12 apps, and writing a blog post while you’re folding laundry and watching a Netflix show feels like you’re being productive.

It’s inefficient because you’re not only getting things done slower and less effectively, but you’re also tiring yourself out faster by using more of your brainpower to switch back and forth between tasks.
Start practicing monotasking.
Catch yourself when you jump to another tab or task.
And refocus. Bring your attention back.
You’ll get better at that.
You’ll refocus faster.
And your attention span will grow.

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Caveday is a company aimed at improving your relationship to work. We write regular posts on Medium and send out monthly newsletters with productivity tips, life hacks, and recommendations. Sign up for the mailing list here.

Jake Kahana is a cofounder of Caveday. Sign up for his personal emails, called “The Email Refrigerator” here.