One Thing At A Time Vs The Hidden Danger Of Multitasking (Part 2)

The danger of multitasking is that we can end up neglecting the most important thing, while feeling great about how much we are accomplishing. ‘One thing at a time’ has its virtues.

“Efficiency is doing the thing right. Effectiveness is doing the right thing.” – Peter Drucker

In the first part of this two-part series on multitasking, I discussed the importance of productivity and whether multitasking is good for productivity. In this concluding blog, let’s examine why multitasking might not be as good as thing as it is commonly perceived to be.

1. Missing out on the most important task: Multitasking can mean that you do not prioritize correctly and hence miss out on working on the most important task
2. Decreased productivity: If you are multitasking, you could end up being 40% less productive compared to doing one task at a time
3. Decreased quality of work output: Multitasking might also result in poorer quality of work than if you do the same work as a single task because your concentration is divided among two or more tasks, affecting the quality of your output.
4. More time taken to complete a task: It takes more time to complete a task if you are multitasking and switching between tasks
5. Prone to making more errors: You are likely to make more errors on a task when you are multitasking than when you do one task at a time
6. More stress and less happiness: Multitasking takes a toll. At home or at work, distractions lead to poor choices, painful mistakes and unnecessary stress. Multitasking is stressful as you are trying to do many things at once
7. Distraction undermines results: When you try to do two things at once, you either can’t or won’t do either well. As per Steve Uzzell, “Multitasking is merely the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a time.”

So what is the antithesis to multitasking? Doing one thing at a time.

“There can only be one most important thing . Many things may be important but only one can be most important.” – Ross Garber

The only exception to this rule where multitasking works to an extent is parenting at home. Sometimes there is more than one important task and both have the same priority. For instance, your toddler needs to go to the bathroom when the doorbell rings. There are multiple situations like this in a home with young kids. As a parent you have to handle all of them and everything is important but you could still prioritize these on the basis of urgency and do them in a sequence; then, these tasks which appear to be multitasking actually become one task at a time.

“Success demands singleness of purpose.” – Vince Lombardi

Never miss real stories from India's women.

Register Now

We need to figure out what matters the most at a given moment and give it our undivided attention. Extraordinary results are determined by how narrow you can make your focus. Extraordinary success is sequential, not simultaneous. Success builds on success.

Here are just some of the benefits of focusing on one thing a time:

1. Increases productivity as all your focus and efforts are on one task; results are better. “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” – George Halas
2. Increases quality of work as total focus and attention to detail would improve the quality of work and reduce the probability of errors
3. Declutters life and mind by doing away with constant distractions of multitasking. This brings clarity on the larger picture as well as smaller things that matter
4. Brings peace and tranquillity by focusing on one thing at a time and avoiding the stress and chaos associated with multitasking

We know now that multitasking is not good for productivity and it is in indeed a myth; that too a very popular one. We also saw that for long-term success, we need to focus on the most important thing at a time and give the task at hand our best.

This way, we would not only be more productive but also become more content and happy. The key is – over time. If we choose right and focus on doing our most important thing right – one thing at a time, slowly and over time, it will accumulate towards a big success.

Liked what you read?

Join the Women’s Web Network for women at work by filling in the form below. You will receive a monthly newsletter from us with great resources, plus we’ll keep you posted on all Women’s Web events in your city!

First published at author’s blog

Top image via Pixabay

Comments