Singletasking vs. Multitasking: Why Doing One Thing At A Time Is Faster Than Trying To Do Them All

I've been bogged down of late. Probably just like you. I've been working on multiple projects and multiple tasks and completely unfocused for months, my mind a maze of unfinished and un-begun tasks. In fact, I have so many tasks I know I need to do that I hardly begin any it seems for fear of not starting others. Is this the logic of the successful? I think not. So today I decided to take stock of my behavior and really reflect on what is important to me and my results.

I've been wanting to create a business plan for months. One where I delineate exactly what is necessary to success based on my daily copious reading on the topic of Internet marketing and business results. I've felt the drain and dizziness of being unfocused for months now and the lingering frustration and funk of weeks without progress. Enough is enough! So out comes my trusty computerized notepad database in which I dump any and all errata related to this crazy thing we call "online business".

I begin by writing a few cliche catch phrases like "Begin with the end in mind", and "Division of labor is key to success". Whatever key concepts I believe are essential to success. Phrases that concisely define those nuggets of wisdom I know yet allow to be forgotten in the daily actions and motions of the day. I write them in the hopes that they'll somehow float to the top of my awareness and remain there after the session is over and somehow this will magically ensure my success.

I know this isn't necessarily the case however, as I've done this futile exercise over and over again for years with nary a positive outcome in sight. But here I go again because this always seems to be the first soothing step I take whenever I feel the need to "get organized" and "take action" yet again.

I'm somehow hoping today will be different than all the times before. That somehow today I will think clearer, and stronger, and jot down some magical formula that has eluded me until today; some kind of epiphany so simple and elegant that all my past struggles will somehow seem comical in their limited and childish ways of toil. That today will be a new day. A new day of ease, flow, and grace that'll take me to swift and concise successful action unlike any other time before. Ah, the dream. It feels good, very good. How I hunger for that insight and incentive to rally me into an ecstasy of gliding action. Off I go! Knocking down barriers and making things happen with ease and style. I am success in action and nothing can stop me!

Well,... that's the hope. The reality is that each day brings with it its own confusion, frustration, and most days -- little progress. So for a spell I get reorganized, refocused, and reenergized and start out on that invigorated path once again only to hit that molasses like stagnation of frustration and lack of results soon thereafter. Why? Why! I think I'm smarter than that. Am I not?

Now, I know success isn't necessarily easy or fast as envisaged above. But based on my daily practices I'm beginning to think I'm more than a little leaning towards the 'lack of progress' sides most days and perhaps even going backwards. There must be some philosophical reasoning I have engrained in my mind and daily behaviors that keeps me in this cycle of short bursts of clarity and enthusiasm and long glides of stagnation and even perhaps retrogression overall. What is it that causes this lethargic cycle?

The very next thing I typed was "Singletasking vs. Multitasking". Singletasking..., is that even a word? Well, I know what I mean by it. The basic concept is a proven one in business and scientific circles. One of such primitive and fundamental axiomatic importance it is almost laughable anyone would discuss it, never mind disobey it daily in their lives. But I believe I may be a victim of it at by own hands. And perhaps you are too.

The idea can best be illustrated in relation to multitasking on computers where too many simultaneous processes causes the system to bog down and delay outcomes to a much greater magnitude than if the same processes had been run sequentially. I've thought about this many times and each time come up with the same answer. E.g. if it holds true for a computer then it must also hold true for me. And I know it does. I've never been able to do two tasks as fast or as well concurrently as I can when focusing on one at a time. It's just a basic law of nature.

So why do I disobey it daily to my own frustration, failure, and perhaps even peril? There must be a reason.

Pondering on this question immediately brings up many possible reasons, and most likely accurate ones, that I avoid daily acknowledging such as:

1. Focusing on only one thing is boring.

2. Choosing one to focus on makes me uneasy. What if something else is more important or urgent?

3. Doing one thing would mean I'd have to get something done which equates with work! I couldn't do that!

4. Only doing one thing is rather 'simple minded'. If I were to do one thing, I'd have to block out all my wonderful ideas for the duration and that wouldn't be as pleasurable.

5. I want to do them ALL now! Just one isn't enough!

And a dozen or two more I'm sure if I wanted to keep at it. If you've got some more of you're own, I'd love to hear them, so drop me a line. But the point is that regardless of how many 'reasons' I may have for trying to multitask, I know based on simple physics and past observable results that I do things better and faster when I do one thing at a time. And I'll bet you do too.

This is the basic idea behind the assembly line, the industrial revolution, and specialization; the more complex the task the more it needs to be divided up into different sub tasks and assigned to different resources to carry out. So if you're trying to wear all hats, then perhaps that's the problem. It seems to be mine. This reinforces the idea of playing to your strengths and outsourcing your weaknesses or dislikes.

So for at least a week (and longer if I'm smart), I'm going to do myself a favor and pursue this concept in action and see what kind of results I get. The only problem I immediately foresee is in deciding what to focus on first and in what order. This is perhaps the second roadblock I've always had in maintaining a single-tasking work ethic, but I'll not let that stop me this time.

Expect some ideas on that barrier in my next article...

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