Why Single-Tasking is Your Greatest Advantage
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