The Myth of Multitasking: How 'Doing It All' Gets Nothing Done

Let me take you on a gentle journey, my friend, into the world of productivity—a space often cluttered with to-do lists, buzzing devices, and the relentless urge to do it all. We live in a culture that celebrates the multitasker, the person who appears to juggle emails, calls, meetings, and family with effortless grace. But as we settle into this story, let’s pause and ask: is this really possible? Or is it, as one clever mind put it, a lie even more dangerous than a damned lie?

Imagine, for a moment, a busy office. Papers pile up, emails ping, phones ring, and someone—maybe you—tries to handle it all at once. The myth of multitasking is seductive. It promises more done in less time, a badge of honor for the busy. Yet, this myth began not with humans, but with machines. The word 'multitasking' was coined to describe computers, whose processors switch so quickly between tasks that they seem to do them all at once. But unlike computers, our brains are not built to run multiple demanding programs at the same time. When we try, we don’t multitask—we switchtask, jumping rapidly from one task to another, losing time and focus with every leap.

Studies have shown that the average person loses 28% of their workday to interruptions and the time it takes to recover from them. That’s over two hours a day, or more than ten weeks a year, simply lost in the shuffle. Every time you answer a quick question while writing an email, or glance at a notification during a meeting, your brain pays a toll—a switching cost that adds up to a staggering loss of productivity.

So why do we cling to this myth? Perhaps it’s the rush of feeling busy, the fleeting satisfaction of crossing off two things at once. But if you look closely, you’ll see that the price is steep: more mistakes, more stress, and less true accomplishment. The illusion of multitasking is just that—an illusion. True productivity, as we’ll soon discover, lies not in doing more, but in doing one thing well.

As we step forward, let’s gently set aside the myth and open ourselves to a new way of working and living. In the next section, we’ll explore the hidden costs of multitasking—and why the price is higher than you might ever imagine.