The Power of Doing Only One Thing

Have you ever heard someone say they’re a great “multitasker”? Or had a potential employer say they’re looking for someone who can “multitask”? In today’s world, being able to juggle numerous tasks is practically seen as a badge of honor. Those who can keep up with the demands of many responsibilities are labeled more productive, more dedicated, and “worth more” than someone who only does one thing at a time.

However, in recent years, psychological studies have indicated that multitasking in the way we imagine it, doesn’t really even exist.

Our brain doesn’t actually focus on multiple things at once. Instead, it flits back and forth between tasks at a rapid pace. When our brains have to dart back and forth like this between all our different tasks, we end up losing focus for a fraction of a moment while we switch. Ultimately, this causes us to lose time while dancing back and forth, and also causes us to never enter into a state of “flow” — a state where we fully engage and enjoy our work. These studies demonstrate that multi-tasking isn’t actually an effective productivity technique at all, and…