{"id":45181,"date":"2026-01-04T19:41:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T23:41:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=45181"},"modified":"2026-01-05T21:48:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T01:48:36","slug":"multitasking-myth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/multitasking-myth\/","title":{"rendered":"The Multitasking Myth Stands in the Way of Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a world of endless to-do lists, the multitasking myth suggests that juggling tasks boosts efficiency. In reality, this habit is actually “task-switching,” which forces the brain to constantly reorient, leading to more mistakes and a drop in productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To achieve high-quality results, we must move past the distraction of doing everything at once. Read more to explore why sequential focus is the true key to success and how debunking the myth of multitasking<\/a> can reclaim your time<\/a> and reduce stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Originally Published:\u00a0August 9, 2021<\/em>
Last Updated: January 4, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Multitasking Myth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In The ONE Thing<\/a><\/em>, Gary Keller<\/a> discusses the multitasking myth\u2014the belief that you can get more done by multitasking. The truth is that you can\u2019t. <\/em>Multitasking actually stands in the way of success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With impossibly long to-do lists, many people believe multitasking is something they should learn and practice in the name of efficiency. Web pages and blogs offer multitasking instructions. Some employers list multitasking as an essential skill for prospective hires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, 2009 research by Clifford Nass of Stanford University showed it doesn\u2019t work. While multitaskers think they\u2019re succeeding, they\u2019re actually performing poorly<\/strong>. Nass found that multitaskers \u201cwere lousy at everything.\u201d As speaker and author Steve Uzzell noted, \u201cMultitasking is merely the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a time<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keller explains that what we call \u201cmultitasking\u201d is actually just task-switching, and it comes with significant costs. Research shows that switching tasks can reduce productivity because, with each switch, your brain needs time to refocus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than juggling their attention across multiple priorities, the most productive people work sequentially<\/em>, doing one focused task at a time. This leads to higher-quality results in less time, writes Keller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Research supports Keller\u2019s claim that people commonly think that multitasking is effective. In one 2018 study, researchers found that 93% of people think they can multitask<\/a> as well as or better than the average person. Despite this\u2014and despite it being statistically impossible\u2014others have found that only about 2.5% of people can actually multitask effectively<\/a> and that those who multitask most frequently are often the least capable at it<\/a>. Meanwhile, people who score high on multitasking ability tests tend not to multitask in real life<\/a>, but rather to focus on single tasks.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Origins of Multitasking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Multitasking might be a holdover from humans\u2019 earliest days, when they had to watch their surroundings for predators while doing other things like picking berries. We seem to be wired to try to do more than one thing at a time. Because we feel so pressed for time, multitasking has become a hallmark of the modern human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term multitasking entered the lexicon in the 1960s, when scientists used it to describe computers\u2019 ability to do many things quickly<\/strong>. However, it was a misnomer: rather than doing multiple things simultaneously, computers alternate tasks requiring memory until the tasks are done. Their speed makes it seem like they\u2019re doing things simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People actually can<\/em> do two things at once\u2014for instance, walk and talk. But like computers, we alternate our focus. Or we process different types of information in different parts of the brain. When we\u2019re engaged in two activities, the brain controls one in the background and the other in the foreground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A conflict occurs when an activity requires a brain channel already in use or when one task demands greater attention\u2014for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n