Why is Monotasking Challenging?

The Twelve Monotasks book started with the epiphany that if I gave my full attention to one thing at a time, I could do it well and I could enjoy it more. I needed to stop multitasking and start monotasking.

However, if monotasking were as easy as just telling you to go do one thing at a time instead of multitasking, that would be a short and not very effective book.

The truth is, monotasking muscles need to be trained and strengthened. Our constant state of busy-ness and attempted multitasking have caused these monotasking muscles to atrophy, making it likely we will become distracted by the sound of one more notification or the “need” to respond to one more email. With strong monotasking skills, we can identify potential pitfalls and actively avoid them.

The way we build our monotasking muscles is to do the things that we already do every day, but to approach them with renewed focus and commitment.