As a chef, the first thing you’re taught is how to do many things at once. It’s part of kitchen life. The more you have on the go, the more efficient you become, or at least that’s what you’re led to believe.
Quick Summary: Why a Success Mindset Isn’t About Doing More
Kitchens run on adrenaline. Fast, furious, relentless. You prep, juggle orders, train staff, and keep hygiene standards from ever slipping. It’s the ultimate test in multitasking. But a real success mindset isn’t built on how much you can juggle; it’s built on how well you do one thing.
Why Multitasking Followed Me Everywhere
That lifestyle shaped me for years. It became part of my DNA. But multitasking didn’t just stay in the kitchen; it leaked into every other part of my life. In today’s world, it feels like we’re all living that way, ordering online, grabbing drive-through coffee, rushing to the next thing, mistaking speed for a success mindset when it’s often the opposite.
Slowing down has become almost foreign. Over the last year, I’ve been deliberately slowing down, getting up earlier, being more conscious of what I do and say, giving myself time to breathe.
Constant “Get It Done” Mode Isn’t Living
The shift has been huge. Being in constant “get it done” mode isn’t living; it’s just running on adrenaline. When I let go of that, I found I was calmer and more productive. Focusing on one thing at a time made me enjoy the process far more, and it’s taught me more about a real success mindset than any busy season in a kitchen ever did.
Multitasking is such a deep habit that I need to actively unlearn it. I’ve noticed the stress it creates, rushing through one task while half-finishing another, neither done to the best of my ability. That cycle of jobs plus deadlines always equals stress.
What I’m Doing Differently
By reducing multitasking, I’ve already lowered my stress, but there’s still work to do. For me, it’s about focus, planning my time better, setting limits, and actually protecting the boundaries I put in place- the practical side of any success mindset that rarely gets talked about. I’m good at that for a while, then I slip back into old patterns, especially when I’ve got a lot on.
What’s Working vs. What’s Next
I know tools like the Pomodoro method work for me; I used it while studying, it kept me sharp, but I haven’t used it since. Planning is another area to improve; I make to-do lists, but I don’t always map out my days or weeks in a structured way. This is exactly the kind of structure I build with women each week inside Promise Kept.
The challenge is finding balance, living in the moment, enjoying the people I’m with, while keeping a sense of direction and flow to my day. A genuine success mindset holds both presence and structure, without needing constant multitasking to feel productive. This is the same identity-level shift I explore with women inside Reclaim Her.
Conclusion
Stopping multitasking won’t happen overnight. It will take practice, boundaries, and a lot of conscious choices. I now protect my morning and evening routines fiercely, and I love how grounded they make me feel. The next step is applying that same structure to my working week.
This is going to be a tough one, but I’m determined. If a genuine success mindset is something you’re working toward too, you can learn more about Transformational Coaching or read about working together on my Work With Me. For now, my focus is simple: do one thing at a time, and do it well.
FAQ’s
Why does multitasking feel productive when it usually isn’t?
It creates a sense of motion and adrenaline, which can feel like progress, even when tasks are actually being done less well and taking longer overall.
How is a success mindset different from just working harder?
It’s about depth over volume; a genuine success mindset favours doing fewer things with full attention rather than many things with divided focus.
What is the Pomodoro method, and does it actually help?
It’s a technique of working in focused blocks with short breaks. Many people find it sharpens attention, especially for tasks that require deep focus.
Why is it so hard to stick to boundaries around time?
Old habits, especially ones built over years like a fast-paced job, tend to resurface under pressure unless actively and consistently unlearned.
Where should I start if I want to reduce multitasking?
Begin with one area, like protecting a single block of focused work time, rather than trying to overhaul the entire day at once.