How to Build a Rock-Solid Single-Tasking Habit
Trying to do more than one thing at the same time is killing your productivity.
The number one skill that will set you apart from 99% of the world’s highly distractible knowledge workers is the ability to ruthlessly single-task.
Here are the 4 steps to building a rock-solid single-tasking habit:
#1 Cut Out Distractions
Use Freedom or another service to block distracting sites
Turn off all notifications
Use separate devices for different types of work
Only have one tab open at a time
Work offline whenever possible
Schedule your email time, ideally only do it twice a day
#2 Make a single-tasking plan you’ll actually stick to
Keep a to-do list with focused, actionable items
Visualize your to-do’s one at a time by using post-it notes
Schedule your daily to-do’s on your calendar
Give yourself less time to complete tasks. It forces you to stay focused
Keep a timer on your tasks to track how you spend your time at work
#3 Dealing with unavoidable distractions
Instead of handling interruptions immediately, add them to your to-do list to come back to later
Keep a “read later” list, saving interesting articles to read later. I use Pocket
Instead of following up on your ideas immediately, keep a running list of thoughts you want to come back to later
Set aside unstructured time during the day or week to review these lists
#4 Getting back on track when you’ve fallen off the single-tasking bandwagon
Schedule regular breaks into your day to re-focus
Forgive yourself when your day gets derailed by distractions; focus on what you’ll do differently tomorrow instead