Overwhelmed? Slow Down

While we always have multiple projects going on at the same time here at DotLoop, this week seems especially busy.

But we can make it—we always do. I think the key for each of us is to focus on one thing at a time before moving onto the next project. By week's end, things always seem to fall in place.

No doubt as agents, you've had your fair share of full plates. If you're lucky enough (or skilled enough), you might even be overflowing with work right now.

How do you get through it? Do you focus on one thing at a time or multiple things at a time? How do you handle multitasking?

More than likely, you don't.

Scientists are seeing more and more evidence that multitasking is a myth, that what we call "multitasking" is really just rapid attention shifting. We basically are taking tiny bites of a cornucopia of meals at a time instead of fully digesting one plate at a time.

Between bites, however, we need to refocus, losing productivity despite our "multitasking" which, ironically enough, is designed to make us more productive.

But getting one thing done, then moving onto the next actually allows for a greater yield of activity at the end of the day.

I'm sure Jeffrey Stephan wish he had thought of that. The 41-year-old document processor for Ally Financial recently admitted that he signed off on thousands of bank foreclosures, without reading a single one, a requirement for the job. The main reason was the shear amount of documents that needed to be reviewed and hand-signed: up to 10,000 a month.

Now, those who had their homes foreclosed on have ammunition to fight back and call shenanigans on the very banks who tried to do more than one thing at a time. It's sending shockwaves throughout the mortgage industry.

Not to say that having another document processor wouldn't have helped, but he did admit to "shortcuts", including taking a glance at the borrower's names and a few other numbers before signing off, and not even reading the rest of the files.

Sometimes, when your plate runneth-over, the best advice is: when you're in a hurry, slow down.

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