The Myth of Multitasking

Everything in our get-it-done yesterday culture seems to demand a mastery of multitasking. In the age of the smartphone, you’re never without access to a phone, e-mail, social media networks and news headlines. At any given moment, you might have half a dozen or more windows open on your computer competing for your time and attention. A few minutes waiting at a red light becomes an opportunity to check voicemail and return a missed call from a client while simultaneously reviewing the agenda for your next meeting.

But no matter how much you think being able to maintain a constant juggling act of tasks is going to help you get ahead, in truth, it might very well be what’s holding you back.

Success is not about how many things you can do at once; it's about consistently turning out your best quality work as efficiently as possible. In fact, multitasking is actually a very inefficient time management strategy that can seriously compromise your performance.

Why?

Although our society might be wired for multitasking, our brains are not.

Although our society might be wired for multitasking, our brains are not. Trying to work on several things at once compromises your brain's ability to function at maximum capacity. Each time you shift your focus from one task to another, you risk losing information from your short-term memory. In the end, you might end up putting in more hours, not less, and producing lower quality work.

Multitasking is fine for simple, low-brain-power chores like checking your e-mail while waiting in line at the grocery store or walking the dog while talking to your mother on the phone. But for complex work-related duties, you should be focused squarely on the task at-hand, not trying to perform a mental balancing act at all times.

If you really want to boost your productivity, start by organizing your day into blocks of time where you focus on accomplishing one specific job from beginning to end.

Learn to excel at single-tasking and get more done in less time.

If you are working on projects that span more than one day, break them into clearly defined phases and set milestones for yourself. Each time you set one project aside and move on to the next, take just a minute to leave yourself a brief note about where you left off and what your next step should be. This will help jog your memory the next time you resume work on that job, and you can get rolling right away.

By learning to excel at single-tasking, you'll reap very real rewards: getting more done in less time, with quality and attention to detail that speaks for itself.

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In the Driver's Seat

Fame Foundry has partnered with NASCAR driver Ryan Newman to develop his new official website. The site is home to the Ryan Newman Fan Club, which marks its 10th anniversary in 2011 with over 10,000 fans worldwide. When the site, which has been completely redesigned and re-engineered from the ground up, is unveiled on February 16, it will introduce a revolutionary new experience for fan club members that will allow them to be part of every race and every event like never before.

More than killer design

The new RyanNewman.org will offer all the expected benefits of a fan club site, including schedules, stats and merchandise as well as behind-the-scenes photos, videos and news from the Ryan Newman Racing organization. However, more importantly, it will be the only site of its kind in NASCAR built around an exclusive members-only micro social network. Here members can engage with other fans of Ryan Newman and NASCAR in ways never before possible as part of a thriving virtual community created by and for the fans.

Micro social network, major engagement

"Fame Foundry created something never seen before, allowing members to interact in new ways and providing them a central location to call their own." – Ryan Newman Members can post their own photos and videos to the site, making the community as much about the fans as it is about Ryan Newman. They can also participate in discussions that are much more robust than traditional message boards, as they are interactive and pervasive throughout all types of content and every event. In addition, fans can interact in real time anytime in live chat rooms. All photos, videos, discussions, news and chats will be aggregated by event so members can choose to browse content either by type or by event. The site is built to elevate the most popular member photos, videos and discussions, rewarding those who make great contributions and making it easy for members to find the best content. Additionally, each member will have an enhanced user profile page that provides a snapshot of all their recent activity across the site and highlights their most popular contributions. While the technology driving the site is quite advanced, the interface is highly intuitive so that members of all ages will find it easy and pleasurable to use. Fans can even remain active in the community when they are on the go, as the site is compatible with mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines

Because racing fans thrive on competition, members who start discussions or who post photos and videos can earn points – or votes – from other members that will put them in the chase for a spot on the fan club leaderboard. Points will be tallied all season long, with prizes awarded to the top performer each month as well as the top overall points earner for the season.

Giving fans and sponsors what they really want

"It has been exciting to watch the Ryan Newman website come to life,” said Newman. “The site is much more than its cool design. Fame Foundry created something never seen before, allowing members to interact in new ways and providing them a central location to call their own. It also provides more value to our sponsors than we have ever had before." “We are looking forward to launching the new Ryan Newman website,” said Greta Ray Anderson, director of the Ryan Newman Fan Club. “Not only will fan club members be able interact in meaningful ways with each other on the site, but Ryan will have his own profile, allowing him to engage with members directly by posting status updates, photos, videos and comments. RyanNewman.org will now become the exclusive go-to destination for the Ryan Newman fan community.” For a tour of the site and its many unprecedented features, check out this exclusive preview.

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