Praise for the Twelve Monotasks
“Captivating, informative, and splendidly written, The Twelve Monotasks is a potential game changer for how we can give more of our attention to the things that really do matter. Thatcher’s entrepreneurial and personal experience makes him the perfect guide to monotasking. It’s a book worth your time, full of ideas that could make a big positive impact on your life. “ — Nate Berkus, author of The Things That Matter
“Relinquishing our engagement with multiple goals and dedicating our attention to a specific task rewards us with increased productivity and a markedly reduced sense of stress. By enhancing our monotasking skills we can more deeply experience and benefit from the most fundamental activities of our lives. Thatcher Wine gifts us with the tools to rein in our distractibility, allowing us to more richly participate in all that we do.” — David Perlmutter, MD, author of Grain Brain and Brain Wash
“The Twelve Monotasks shows how we're not fully living up to our potential when we multitask and offers practical steps for what we can do about it. Sharing key learnings around important daily activities including sleeping, eating, and walking, Thatcher Wine explains the deep and profound need for monotasking and how mastering it can lead to a more present, healthier, and happier you.” — Frank Lipman, MD, author of Better Sleep, Better You
“Overall, for me, one of the biggest selling points of the book is that it provides a different vocabulary for what’s likely a good idea. I’ve read a few books and taken a few classes on dealing with stress, emotional wellness, etc. lately—one recurring idea was mindfulness, being present, and so on. There was something about the language that bothered me. I liked the concepts, but the pseudo-spirituality/pseudo-psychological terms it was couched it didn’t sit right with me. I always felt like I was being silly in not being comfortable with them, but it was a real stumbling block for me. Now, Wine’s monotasking isn’t the same idea—but they’re compatible, really compatible. But his approach, his terminology comes without the touchy-feely connotation—making it more palatable to many readers (I can’t imagine I’m the only one).”
— H.C. Newton, The Irresponsible Reader
“If you start the new year with any book, this is the one! Thatcher Wine has written a true gem, one to be passed along to absolutely everyone, regardless of age. Wine's message is profound, made the more so through its simplicity! This book is incredibly grounding and provides avenues for each of us to quiet the chaos, deepen connections with loved ones and, most importantly, find joy in simply doing one task at a time.”
“Wow! This book majorly mythbusts what I always believed - that multitasking is a good thing. Turns out, we're just overcomplicating things for our brains. The idea to value monotasking totally caught me off guard - but it makes perfect sense. This book is stocked with super useful recommendations to retrain your focus so that you can do everything better. It's distilled down and uncomplicated. Finally! A way to practice mindfulness that isn't overly frou-frou, and doesn't ask for way too much of my time. You just apply "monotasking" principles to the stuff you're already doing. This already feels like a game changer. Definitely recommend.“
“This is NOT just another self -help book - this is a paradigm shifting personal manual that everyone should read. If you feel overwhelmed, overstressed, over-programmed, swamped by too much to do and too little time to do it, or just feel there has to be a better way to handle the rigors of modern life, this book just might have the right ideas for you. The author teaches, not preaches - a refreshingly accessible and actionable way of looking at your everyday activities as tasks to help you live a happier, more efficient and calmer life. Another nice thing is that it is not an all or nothing approach - you can take it one step at a time and incorporate a few or all of the ideas as you feel necessary or capable. Highly recommended!”
“So many things in this world compete for our attention and we *think* the answer to this is multi-tasking. But this really only leaves us feeling like we're not doing anything very well...Enter monotasking! Such a simple yet brilliant concept...read the book and pay attention to the teachings and you will be amazed at how much better you can feel about the things that matter to you.”
“I'm someone who's always looking for efficiency and ways to get stuff done quickly. My usual scrambled way of doing things was leading to errors, time spent redoing or rethinking things, and life was feeling messy all the time. Reading The Twelve Monotasks was like taking a deep, oxygenating breath! Focusing on one thing at a time is making me clearer, calmer, and more focused, which makes me feel unstoppable. Wow!”
“Thatcher Wine has written an incredible book on how to do our everyday tasks more effectively with our full intention. This book helped me to avoid multitasking and do "Monotasking" which I'll be using in my everyday activity.“
“This book was an absolute game changer for me. As an entrepreneur, mom of kids with special needs and someone always seeking nuggets of truth and light in this world, this book floored me with its practical magic. It gave me easily accessible everyday monotasking skills that strengthened my ability to focus, create and grow in all areas of my life. Highly recommend!”
“After spending decades as a "multi-tasker," this book has encouraged me to mono task - with ease, efficiency, calm, and achievement. Wow. Loving all of the advice and its thoroughness, guidance, and research-backed and practical methods. As a spiritual life coach, I am looking forward to incorporating this into how I guide clients to reach their goals, with more centeredness and success!”
“Multi-tasking is the death of productivity and has a negative long-term effect on the brain. This book is what it means to get into a monotasking mindset and revolutionize your relationship with time.”
"The Twelve Monotasks" is a pleasure to read and very timely in this era of multitasking (or trying to do that, mainly unsuccessfully). The activity of "Reading" offers the template for monotasking (you have to give it your complete attention), but Thatcher Wine cover a wide range of other monotasks from "eating" and "sleeping" to "playing" and "creating." The chapter on "Listening" has particularly helpful tips for concentrating on what the other person is saying; by doing so, you enhance your conversation and communication skills. The message in the book (with guidance for the reader) comes through clearly and strongly: focus on doing one thing at a time and you can do it well! This is a book from which we can all profit.
“Fantastic. This is not a book to read just because you want to set fleeting New Years resolutions (though by all means if that’s how you’ve found it then great!). The chapters in this book contain tips, practices, and philosophies for a lifetime. I realized while reading that I’ve actually been craving monotasking in so many areas of my life during these times when burnout, distraction, and chronic stress are so prevalent. As a millennial who grew up being taught that multitasking was a prized quality (especially when applying to jobs), this book offers some relief to all the multitasking burnout that’s built up in my life (and I’m sure I’m not the only one!).
”I now have new tools to help improve my well-being on a new level. Not without lots of practice ahead, but this one’s going on the “keep” shelf.”