The Art of Single-Tasking

“Because the brain cannot fully focus when multitasking, people take longer to complete tasks and are predisposed to error. When people attempt to complete many tasks at one time, ‘or [alternate] rapidly between them, errors go way up and it takes far longer—often double the time or more—to get the jobs done than if they were done sequentially.’” (Wikipedia)

I am guilty of attempting to perfect the art of multi-tasking... working on multiple tasks simultaneously.  Sometimes I feel like I'm quite successful at it, until it all comes crashing around me because I become mentally and physically fatigued, or I realize that I've overlooked something really important.  


Our society has come to prize a person’s ability to multi-tasks.  Movie-makers seem to enjoy exaggerating the high power executive who multi-tasks all day long and never has time for the people who are most important to them.  The sad truth is that there are many who live like this on a routine basis.  They are full of stress and anxiety, and more often than not their health is at risk as a result.

I'm thrilled to find that research has discovered that multi-tasking is not an efficient or effective way to accomplish important tasks. 

“Psychiatrist Richard Hallowell has gone so far as to describe multitasking as a ‘mythical activity in which people believe they can perform two or more tasks simultaneously.’” (Wikipedia)

I have come to the realization that it's time to relearn the “art” of single-tasking.  I can tell you from personal experience that it is not easy to give concentrated focus to one task until it is complete when you’ve been accustomed to juggling multiple tasks at once.  But the rewards are amazing.

I have discovered that motherhood seems to demand a certain amount of multi-tasking.  But it gets rather out of control when we try to do too much.  For example, I find that my kids will ask me something, and instead of giving them my full attention, I try to read something while they’re talking.  This results in me consistently responding (after a long silent pause as they await my reply) by saying, “What?”

For those who want to get supremely serious about practicing single-tasking, you may enjoy the article “Now Do This, and the Single-Tasking Philosophy” at the Zen Habits blog.

Please note: From the Home Base does not endorse zen philosophy.