Today at the office, we were given an additional task to perform from now on while taking calls. 

"How on earth do they expect us to take on this additional task and still complete the calls in under five minutes?" I cried. 

My boss replied, "I know it's even more multitasking than what you do, but it's easy. You'll get used to it eventually."

To me, multitasking is an outrage. I normally do one thing at a time. For example, here I am now writing this article, with not a sound in the room. Just me and the hum of my computer.

So many people multitask. They put on makeup while driving, or they talk on the phone while checking e-mail. But consider: Do you multitask, or do you just have ADD? 

If your mind wanders while someone is talking to you, if you frequently switch tasks, if you are easily distracted by what's going on around you, or if you dislike doing work that requires serious concentration, then it's likely that you have ADD.

The brain was not made to do more than one thing at a time. If you do more than one thing, chances are you are missing the details in one of the tasks. You are absorbing less of more.

Research shows that when you shift your attention from one task to another you are likely to make mistakes, and it will take twice as long to finish the first task. To make matters worse, in this age of instant gratification, new technology offers a form of seduction for multitasking. 

Do you feel satisfied at the end of the day? To be satisfied in life, one must control one's attention, keeping it for sustained periods of time. The more you interrupt yourself, the more distractible you become. Here are some tips to keep your attention focused during the day.

1. Do your most important task first thing in the morning (I can attest to this). Do it without interruption for at least an hour to an hour and a half. In the small business world, we are told to perform money-making activities first thing in the morning, which does not include checking e-mail.

2. Turn off the automatic e-mail alerts. Check your e-mail at specific times of the day, if possible. 

3. Try meditation to quiet your mind. I know this takes some discipline to stick with it, but you will become so much more focused and be able to stay in the present.

4. In the evenings, wind down by doing some quiet activity like reading a book or journalling about your day, in lieu of texting, tweeting, or checking e-mail. Dim the lights at least an hour before bedtime. You will feel so much more focused the next day.

Share your tips and tricks with us. How do you stay focused during the day?