The Lies of Multitasking

Growing up I was told that I was good at multitasking. I believed it. I seemed to be able to do multiple things at the same time while still being productive and performing effectively. I believed multitasking was a good ability to have. I am currently reading a book, The ONE Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan, and one of the chapters discusses the lie of multitasking. This chapter serves as the reflection point and inspiration for today’s newsletter.

The chapter essentially says that multitasking is not a real capability we have as humans. We are able to switch between tasks frequently. This frequent switching is what we call multitasking. The reality of this practice is we are not focusing on any one task. Switching tasks also causes us to lose our focus on the previous task we were working on. Once focus is lost it takes us some time to get back into a state of high focus. The lack of total focus caused by multitasking means we are not working at our highest capacity and are inherently taking longer to do the task at hand. Trying to do two things at the same time is an effective way to get less done.

In my own life, I recently had conversations about when I was most productive and able to work the best. My answer was on an airplane. On an airplane with my phone not receiving any notifications I have been able to let my words flow as I type onto the paper. In reflecting now, these results stemmed from the fact that I was totally focused on my writing. I was not subconsciously wondering when I would receive a notification causing me to be distracted. I did not have someone talking to me every couple of minutes. My focus was complete and the pace and quality of my work showed.

I realize I need to be better at setting myself up for focused work. Focused work is where I am most productive and do the best work. I need to take simple steps to ensure I am setting myself up to enter these environments. I still have not written a newsletter on the power of “Deep Work” but addressing the pitfalls of multitasking seems like a prelude to any discussion on the topic.

Gone are the days of me spending hours multitasking. I no longer want to be someone who can listen to music and read at the same time, or even worse— studying and listening to music at the same time. That practice does not make sense and is ultimately a waste of time. As an adult eliminating the frequency of multitasking can be as simple as leaving my phone in a different room as I work. By practicing minimization of my distractions and working deliberately to narrow my focus, I will succeed more in the long run.