Saturday 14 September 2019

Stop Multitasking: Do One thing at a Time―Share if You Care!




“There is no royal road to anything. One thing at a time, all things in succession. That which grows fast, withers as rapidly. That which grows slowly, endures.” —J. G. Holland


Multitasking has become a buzzword globally. In this high-tech world, people are often confused with what to do one thing first due to the pressure from multiple sources and distraction from various sources. They must prioritize their tasks and execute one task at a time. Currently, there is less focus on work due to distractions arising from technology and social media. People want everything on a platter and in precise as per their priorities and tastes which has become a big challenge globally. In this post, I will debunk multitasking and discuss the merits of doing one thing at a time.


Multitasking is a Myth

Doing one thing at a time is against multitasking. Research shows that there is no merit in multitasking. Our brains are not effective when we multitask because they are not built for multitasking. I am not expert in multitasking as I cannot concentrate on many things at a time. As an author, I find it highly challenging to multitask and follow my creative pursuits. Hence, I undertake one task and execute it effectively and move on to the next task.  There are several merits in staying away from multitasking. You focus clearly on your task and contribute your best. You emphasize excellence and excel in your area. You will be able to differentiate between the chalk and the cheese. You learn your priorities right. You don’t get distracted due to technology and social media. You are less likely to make mistakes. The demerits include missing other opportunities that arise while executing one task. You may be delayed in other activities. Steve Jobs once remarked, “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on.  But that’s not what it means at all.  It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are.”  

Multitasking may be possible when you intend to execute a task with your conscious mind and other tasks with your subconscious mind. For instance, women are expert in multitasking. They view television, breastfeed children and sew the clothes. That means, they view television with their conscious mind and breastfeed their children and sew the clothes with their subconscious mind.


Do one thing at a Time

“The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once.” —Samuel Smiles

Remember the story of hare and tortoise before you undertake any task. The task that is executed slowly and steadily offers you a better outcome than the tasks that are executed in a hurry. Hence, do one thing at a time to emphasize excellence and excel as an effective leader. To conclude, multitasking is a myth and doing one thing at a time is the truth.  


“Do not be discouraged because you cannot learn all at once; learn one thing at a time, learn it well, and treasure it up, then learn another truth and treasure that up, and in a few years you will have a great store of useful knowledge.” —Wilford Woodruff

Reference


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Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India


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