Singletasking > Multitasking
The power of doing one thing at a time
Our world is an endless invitation to multitask.
We juggle multiple tabs on our screen, reply to messages while in a meeting, and listen to a podcast while answering emails, convinced that this is the secret to efficiency.
What if this constant juggling is actually making us less effective?
Multitasking creates a state of continuous partial attention. It encourages busyness over impact, and leaves us feeling scattered and stressed. We do many things, but we can do none of them with our full presence.
Singletasking, by contrast, is about doing one thing at a time, but with our full and undivided attention. It’s a mindful choice to be fully present with the task at hand.
When we commit to focusing on a single task, we get to:
- Engage more deeply: By eliminating distractions, we allow ourselves to become fully immersed in the process, leading to higher-quality, more impactful work.
- Reduce mental friction: The constant switching between tasks is mentally draining. Singletasking calms the noise and reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed.
- Find more meaning in the process: Giving our full attention to a task allows us to appreciate the work itself, not just rush towards the outcome. This aligns with a process-oriented mindset.
- Be truly effective: While it can feel slower, focusing on one thing at a time leads to stronger performance, fewer mistakes, and less rework. It's a practical application of the "Slow Down to Speed Up" principle.
Singletasking takes practice. It's a deliberate choice to switch from the illusion of being busy to the reality of being deeply engaged.
What's one important task this week that you could dedicate a block of uninterrupted, single-tasking time to?
Single-mindedly,
/rajesh