Writing an email while on a Zoom call. Talking on the phone while walking. Scrolling through social media while watching a movie.
In both our work and our play, we’re all doing more and more multitasking. Doing two things at once makes us feel as if we’re more efficient and getting more done.
But my guest would say that all this task juggling actually makes us less productive, while diminishing the quality of our work and stressing our minds, and that we’d be better off curbing our multitasking in favor of monotasking. His name is Thatcher Wine and he’s the author of The Twelve Monotasks: Do One Thing at a Time to Do Everything Better. Today on the show, Thatcher explains the illusions around multitasking and the benefits of monotasking — that is, bringing our full focus to a single task at a time. We discuss why reading is a foundational part of becoming a monotasker, and then get into some of the other activities Thatcher recommends monotasking, including walking, listening, traveling/commuting, and thinking. Thatcher argues that doing things like listening to a podcast while cleaning your house isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but that you may want to try stripping everything away from your daily tasks except the primary tasks themselves to observe the resulting effect and to strengthen your “monotasking muscles” and rebuild your attention span. Once you’ve experimented with doing a task alone, you can then decide to layer back in the second activity, or, maybe decide you actually liked giving it your all.
Resources Related to the PodcastThe Metaphysical Club
The Rise of the Religious "Nones" (And What It Means for Society)
The Surprising Benefits of Forgetting
Let the Children Play!
Time Management for Mortals
Do You want to Be Rich or Wealthy? (And Why the Difference Matters)
Why We Get Sick
The Confucian Gentleman
Do You Need to Take a Dopamine Fast?
What the Labors of Hercules Can Teach You About Life and Masculinity
How to Get Time, Priorities, and Energy Working in Your Favor
The Power of Talking to Strangers
The Exercise Prescription for Depression and Anxiety
Life's 10 Biggest Decisions
Rewild Your Life
The Character Traits That Drive Optimal Performance
Being a Man in the Lousy Modern World
College — What It Was, Is, and Should Be
Could Sleeping in Separate Beds Improve Your Relationship?
The Conquering Father Who Made an Empire-Building Son
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Tucker Carlson Show