Forget Multitasking—Here’s What Actually Works

Image created with the help of ChatGPT

Does your resume say that you’re a good multitasker?

Yeah, mine too.

Or, well, it used to.

But you and me, we were wrong.

Why?  Because 97.5% of people are incapable of multitasking.

Yes, you heard that right. 

Most of us just can’t do it.  Like, our brains literally can’t do it.

It’s not a skill we can learn.

We don’t get better at it with practice.

In fact, for the grand majority of us, those who attempt to multitask but can’t, well, studies show that when we attempt to multitask, our productivity decreases by about 40%.

So annoying, right?

You thought that by multitasking you were being so clever, getting two (or more!) things done at once.

Little did you know that you were a prime example of a Publilius Syrus quote from more than 2000 years ago:

“To do two things at once is to do neither.”

And if I’ve still got your attention, and you’re thinking “not me, I must be one of the 2.5% elite who actually can multitask”, then let me ask you a question:

Have you ever been on a call, while also trying to write an email, and you end up just typing verbatim what someone else is saying even though it has nothing to do with your email.

Yep?

Well, my friend, I hate to break it to you, but you fall into the non-multitasker camp. 

But don’t worry, we’re friendly over here :)

And you know what else?  Not only does multitasking tank your productivity, reduce your efficiency, and increase your likelihood of mistakes (and required do-overs), but it’s also super stressful.

Why?  Because, for the 97.5 % of us who can’t multitask, all we’re really doing is context-switching at a super rapid clip.

And you know what tops the charts when I ask folks what stresses them out most during the workday?  

Having to constantly context-switch.

But look, this isn’t all doom and gloom.  I’ve got some good news for you:  

Now that you know your attempts at multitasking are actually making you less productive and more stressed, there is a solution. 

And it’s a simple one:

Single-task!

What’s single-tasking, you ask?  

Well, it’s simply doing one thing at a time.

Try out and let me know how it goes!