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Why The Most Productive

People Dont Multi-Task
Jon Westenberg
October 9, 2016 3 min read

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Ive learned the hard way that when you multi-task, nothing ever
actually gets anything done. Multi-tasking never actually helps me reach
my goals. Doing half a dozen things at once never gets me anywhere.
Heres how most people who claim theyre good at multi-tasking actually
work.
They identify the tasks that need doing.
They start, switch and change focus as their brain subconsciously
sorts through their commitments.
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With every single switch, they lose precious units of concentration

and they slowly drift off course.
If youre driving in a straight line, and you continually course
correct to do or see different things along your journey, you can
wind up splitting from your original path by a massive degree.
Thats what multi-tasking does. Thats why its so dangerous.
Multi-tasking means youll keep on course correcting until youre so
bogged down in shit-that-does-not-matter that you cant actually
get back to your original task with any kind of effectiveness.

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Its also exhausting. Spending your energy on that continual course

correction wastes it more than a clear focus ever would.

What Happens When You Multi-Task

Heres what Daniel Levitin has to say about it:That switching comes
with a biological cost that ends up making us feel tired much more
quickly than if we sustain attention on one thing.

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When you multi-task, youre taking the energy that could have been
dedicated to pushing one task or project forward and dividing it between
multiple areas, meaning that theres just no way to ensure youre
maximising its impact.
The picture of a multi-tasker may seem inspirational.
Admit it, we want to be the people that others look at and say, I dont
know how they do it. And thats part of the reason we try so hard to be
multi-taskers, its sheer vanity.
Its the same reason we want to tell people were busy when they ask
how we are. It makes us feel important.

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But the real picture is of people who cant get shit done, because
theyre exhausted, theyre drifting and theyre not sticking to a clear
course in any way.
They dont have focus.

The Alternative
Its being a single-tasker.

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Dedicate yourself solely to one task. Set a time limit and keep to it. Block
any distractions or rail breakers and keep hammering at it until you
reach the end of the allotted time.
If that puts too much pressure on you, try starting a task by grabbing a
single post-it note and writing the exact outcome you want from your
focus on that task, and stop working only when you hit it.
[This post by Jon Westenberg first appeared on Medium and has been
reproduced with permission.]

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Note from Inc42: The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author
and does not necessarily reflect the views held by Inc42, its creators or
employees. Inc42 is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information
supplied by guest bloggers.
Archived in Resources and tagged Advice, Career, Leadership, Multitasking, Time, time
management.

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