The end of the year is typically a busy time for most people. Work projects are due and at home the holidays entail shopping, decorating, wrapping presents, attending parties and more.

In an effort to get more done, many of us revert to multitasking - checking email while on the phone, planning our shopping list while our child or spouse tells us about their day, eating while watching television, driving while talking on our cell phone. However, studies reveal that multitasking is less efficient, decreases productivity, and doesn't save time after all. In a keynote speech to top CEO's and government officials, Timothy Ferriss (author of the book 4-Hour Workweek) makes the claim that people with the most time and the highest incomes are characterized by the ability to single task: focusing on the truly important, without interruption, to completion.

So if you find yourself short on time this holiday season, do everything you can to resist the seemingly intuitive notion that doing several things at once will save you time. Instead, give 100% of your attention to what you are doing at that moment. When you wash the dishes, wash the dishes. When you eat an orange, eat an orange. When you are in the shower, be in the shower. When you are listening to your child or spouse tell you about their day, give them all of your attention.

By focusing on only one task at a time you can fully concentrate on the task at hand, you're less prone to making mistakes, and in many cases, the task is done quicker because you're not doing something else. Ultimately, you enjoy things more, get more done, and feel less stress.