Multi-Tasking is a Myth, My Droogies (And What to Do Instead)

I realize that February 21st is President’s Day, which is a worthy holiday (and voting should be a holiday too, while I’m at it!) But an even bigger holiday, at least for us productivity nerds pushers consultants, is (or should be) February 22, which is Single Tasking Day.

We’re all so used to doing multiple things at one time: texting and driving (don’t do that), emailing or checking Facebook while you’re on a Zoom call or webinar, etc. Your mind is constantly occupied, so you must be getting a lot done, right?

Wrong.

Task-switching is tiring

When it comes to cognitively demanding tasks, your brain can’t do two tasks at once.  Our animal ancestors never texted, and neither did we up until maybe 10 years ago. So no, the brain has not evolved for multitasking, no matter how old you are.

Think you’re multitasking? What actually happens is that your brain is switching back and forth between the two tasks. That gives you the conscious illusion that you’re multitasking.

But the reality is you’re actually just tiring out your brain faster. Ever notice when you’re texting and driving (seriously, DO NOT DO THIS) that people around you are honking? Or you hit the brakes only to realize you’re 20 mph below the speed limit anyway? Or that you’re constantly jerking the wheel to get back in your lane? It’s because while you're texting, your focus is off the road.

Or, less dangerously, you’re in the middle of a demanding task like a tax return, and the phone rings. You pick it up automatically, but while you’re on the phone you’re still thinking about the tax return. Or you’re worried you’ll lose your place when you get back to it, which yeah, you probably will. You’re splitting your focus.

Ever noticed that on a day where you did a lot of stuff - not necessarily anything that had an impact or moved your company forward, but just a lot of different tasks - that you feel wiped out at the end of the day? 

Task switching tires out your brain. Whether you're faux-multitasking or just switching between a lot of different stuff, all the switching is fatiguing. That’s why so many people on diets have a great breakfast and super-nutritious lunch … and then eat the contents of the cookie jar for dinner. Too many decisions and your brain is done.

Focus is what moves the needle in business

If you think you’re multitasking a lot, you might have noticed that you’re not very efficient. When you divide your focus between two tasks, you’re not multiplying your focus, you’re dividing it in half. As in, you’re now half-assing both tasks. 

I guess if you’re switching focus between three tasks then you’re third-assing it. And so on.

Maybe it seems less productive to “only” do one thing at a time. Not only will you get things done more quickly when you do one at a time, but also remember that productive is not the same as busy. You can be extremely busy and still not get anything important done. 

Need to get a few things wrapped up by the end of the day? Instead of trying to do them all at once, which is simply not possible, do one thing at a time. Pick the most important one and do it first. Then do the next one.

We live in a hustle culture. People brag about being busy. “I’d love to do that, but I’m sooooo busy!” When what they really mean is “I’m not prioritizing that”. 

If you’re busy, not productive, you’re probably not taking care of the important stuff.

Other benefits of single tasking

Parents want to have quality time with their kids. It doesn’t mean going for a hike in Anza Borrego State Park while you’re glued to your phone, as I saw on one visit. (I felt so sorry for the kid.) 

Quality time isn’t sitting around the table not listening to anyone because you’re on your phone. It means being with your kid, emotionally as well as physically. You don’t have to do activities necessarily. You can just hang out and be present with each other.

That goes for all relationships. When you’re with the other person, be with the other person. Not with your phone, or their phone, or your Zoom call. Your “task”, if you want to call it that, is to really be present with them. Listen to what they’re actually saying, not what you think they’re saying. 

Single tasking can also help you stay on track. Ever walked from one room into another and tried to figure out what you went in there for? I can pretty much guarantee you started to think about something else almost immediately as soon as you started walking, and that’s why you forgot. Consider being mindful about it instead - think about what you’re doing as you’re doing it.

You don’t have to only focus on one aspect of one thing to be single tasking. I like to go for long hikes by myself. I try to take in everything about the experience: the tiny purple flower almost hidden in the rocks on the trail, what the air smells like, the birdsong (if any, sometimes the canyons are dead quiet), and the critters.

Creativity requires that you spend time not thinking logically about things like your marketing strategy or how you’re going to hit your sales targets. It requires time to play, have fun, even be bored. There’s a reason why people get great ideas in the shower or bath. Your subconscious has been working on it, but your conscious mind needs to STFU for a while in order for the epiphany to come.

Recap

Multitasking isn’t possible and switching from task to task is tiring for your brain. Spend time where you’re playing instead of thinking, and single task by being present with what you’re doing or who you’re with. It’s good for your relationships and creativity too.

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