Benefits of Monotasking

Monotasking is the act of doing one task at a time with full attention. Some people also refer to it as solo tasking. I like the word monotasking because it is clearly the opposite of multitasking.

Monotasking can be harder than it initially seems. Distractions abound, both internal and external. Our minds go off in different directions. Other people want to interrupt us. Technology and our devices constantly want our attention (and you thought your ex was needy?)

I talk a lot about the benefits of doing one thing at a time in my book The Twelve Monotasks. The benefits of monotasking include:

1. Increasing productivity — you may think you will get more done by multitasking and it may look like you’re busy, but the reality is that monotasking is more productive in the long run.
2. Reducing errors in the work you do. When you multitask, you are much more likely to make mistakes.
3. Improving the quality of the work you do by paying attention. Focus leads to quality.
4. Decreasing stress by being present in each task you do instead of getting overwhelmed by everything you need to do.
5. Being happier! People who live in the present moment tend to be happier than those who are constantly thinking about the past and the future. If you load up every moment with multitasking, you won’t be “in the now.” Do one thing at a time with each moment, and you’ll be much happier.
6. Lengthening your attention span. The attention economy is constantly trying to distract you and fragment your attention. You can take charge of your attention, rebuild, and expand it by monotasking. I like this piece by Jay Vidyarthi about mindfulness as resistance in the attention economy.
7. Improving your connection and relationships to others. When you monotask the time you spend with friends and family, you become more connected, become a better listener, and feel more of what they are feeling. Jake Kahana writes in An Unexpected Benefit of Monotasking about how monotasking also builds trust.
8. Building your monotasking muscles! The more you monotask, the better at it you become — it’s a reinforcing cycle!

We all should be strengthening our monotasking muscles in order to make our way into a future that is certain to be even more distracting than the present. The benefits of monotasking abound. Every moment is a good time to start monotasking.

Photo credit: Thatcher Wine. Carter Lake, Colorado.