Singletasking: Get More Done—One Thing at a Time

Imagine you are at your desk, your phone buzzing incessantly, emails flooding your inbox, and a dozen tabs open on your computer. You try to write a report, answer messages, and plan your day all at once. What you are doing is not multitasking but rapid task-switching, a process your brain struggles to manage effectively. Neuroscience reveals that the human brain is wired to focus on one complex task at a time. When we attempt to juggle several, we are not performing them simultaneously but flitting back and forth between them. This constant switching incurs a cognitive cost, leading to mistakes, longer completion times, and mental fatigue.

Consider the grave example of distracted driving. Despite knowing the dangers, many drivers engage in texting or phone use behind the wheel. This behavior quadruples crash risk and results in tens of thousands of fatalities annually. The brain simply cannot divide its attention effectively when faced with competing demands of driving and messaging. It is a tragic real-world illustration of the multitasking myth’s dangers.

Moreover, studies show that heavy media multitaskers—those who frequently switch between multiple information streams—are more susceptible to distraction and less able to filter irrelevant stimuli. This results in lower concentration, impaired memory, and diminished performance across tasks.

Our culture glorifies multitasking as a marker of efficiency, yet it is a productivity killer. The fragmented attention it causes undermines quality, damages relationships, and increases stress. Recognizing this truth is the first step toward reclaiming control over your focus and your life.

As we move forward, we will explore an alternative approach—singletasking—which embraces focused attention on one task at a time, promising greater accomplishment and well-being. Let us begin this journey together.