FOCUS: THE TASK REVOLUTION

The key to total, uninterrupted focus on what's important, is the ability to unfocus on the unimportant. The ultimate goal of concentration is not to block out surrounding environments, but to maintain total focus in spite of them. They will be there. You must be not only better than them, but decoupled from them.

You've heard of "multitasking." Now get ready for "monotasking." Studies have shown that humans-- even the most capable among us-- cannot focus on two activities at once, to the extent required to complete them optimally and thoroughly. "Multitasking" is an illusion to make you think you're getting more done, when in reality, you're most likely neglecting one task or the other. Monotasking rejects the notion that humans should even bother trying to multitask, as not only does it hinder productivity, but increases stress and even guilt when it doesn't yield higher productivity. You, oh expert task revolutionary, have no time for systems that do not work. So let's explore Monotasking more in the next chapter.