Why Single-Tasking Will Change Your Life

Everyone thinks that to be good at what they do, they have to learn to juggle several things at a time. People are moving from how to focus on one thing to how to do more than three things at the same time.

While multitasking has become part of the new norm in the workplace, experts suggest the opposite. Truthfully, people will be able to do more and produce better results if they focus only on one task at a time. 

People may claim to be good at multitasking. Maybe they have grown to be good at it, but is their work quality work? Or do they end up redoing several tasks? Or did they have to rethink what they did because they don't feel as satisfied? 

More than completing the task, the focus should be that it is done exceptionally well. Multi-taskers also become more stressed than those working on a single job at a time. 

The task manager's priority is always to complete something and bring about excellent results. Those who claim to be good at multitasking always deliver something less than is expected of them. Sadly, they use their multitasking strategy as an excuse for the less than excellent output. Switching to a single-tasking operating system will not only improve your work, but your health.

How Does Multitasking Affect The Body?

Stress can take a toll on the body. When a person is under a lot of pressure, they have to deal with several of its effects, including memory loss, heart disease, digestive problems, and even sleep disruption. All of these pose a real threat to a person's life. 

Instead of stressing yourself out, get yourself into the zone. Complete one critical project at a time, and remember that there is nothing of high value that comes easy. If you try to juggle two to three tasks at a time, you end up dividing your attention to these tasks. In the end, there is a noticeable decrease in your performance for all the tasks at hand. 

Meanwhile, those who choose to work on a single task at a time enjoy the many benefits that come with it. Putting it into practice for the first time may prove to be challenging. It will make you feel as if you are too slow and that you are not accomplishing as many things as you used to. 

However, if you choose to stick to it, you will eventually see the improvement in the output that you produce. Choosing to work with a single task at a time also helps keep the distractions at bay. It can be tempting to give in, but you know that nothing good will come out of it. 

How Do You Train Yourself?

How do you turn yourself into a single-tasking operating system? How do you teach yourself to focus only on one task?

Start with small tasks

Just like how athletes start with their training, they do it gradually. Begin with the smallest tasks until things become manageable. Then, move your focus to the more difficult tasks. Doing this gradual process will teach you patience. It will teach you to persevere and about self-discipline. 

Break massive projects into smaller tasks

Make a plan on how to achieve a bigger goal. If you don't want to deal with the stress, then teach yourself to take on the task piece by piece. Before you know it, you have completed your project with little to no distractions at all. This also prevents you from procrastinating. 

Choose to work on important tasks

Every task is important, so you have to determine which job should take priority over the others. At the beginning of every day, decide which tasks need to be completed first. From there, you can work your way through the less important ones. For best results, make sure to keep a to-do list and follow the lead. 

Work within a timeframe

Set the timer at the beginning of every task. That is how you learn to discipline yourself. Increase the blocks of time you use to finish the task when needed. Take mental breaks when you need to. When you follow this, not only will you be able to determine which tasks take more of your time and which ones can be done in bursts. 

Prepare the tools that you need

Clear your desk at the beginning of every day. Make sure only to have the essentials around. The other tools that you don't need to accomplish the task on hand should be set aside. Silence your phone whenever you are working. You don't need any more distractions. 

Clear the clutter as it is a representative of what's going on inside your head. Clear your mind and allow yourself to think about the task on hand. 

Always set a realistic deadline

Never think that you can complete everything in one sitting. A huge task may require days to complete, so you have to make that as realistic as possible. Set a deadline for yourself. The more accountable you are to yourself, you're more likely to accomplish your goals. Be more focused, and you will be more productive. More than anything, setting deadlines and effectively meeting them means you are dealing with less stress. 

Making the shift from multitasking to single-tasking can be challenging. It will be the most difficult task you've ever had to ask yourself to do. But in the end, you're doing yourself a favor. 

Now, you can focus on one task, complete it, and feel really confident that you gave it your best. After all, you focused all your attention on it. That could only mean one thing: you are good at what you do and have produced something better than before.