The Curse of Multitasking

By Onyinyechi Obike

Consider a magnifying glass position to help see images, and objects at a closet level. If one were to look at it plainly with no view in mind, nothing will be captured; just a blurry feedback. But perhaps, if there was an intended object to be view at a closet level, much precision and clarity will be achieved. Another to be considered is the effect of a screen projecting the intensity of sunlight to a desired surface. Certain experiments show that when sunlight is directed to a particular point on a screen, the intensity increases and causes flame to be generated as a result of this action.


Although this looks like the opening line of an elementary science topic, it speaks of something much different and relatable to you. It speaks of the effectiveness of focus, concentration.

Realistically, everyone has about a billion things they should be doing, can be doing and may be doing each day. And ideally, the list should be lengthy and not sparse because how do you ensure you live a fulfilling life without being engaged in activities that are page way for achieving such?

However, the methodology to doing so is a problem that should be addressed. Most people may prefer to do just one thing and spend time daydreaming of completing the rest, some outrightly procrastinate until the utopic gleaming moment is perfected, and others juggle their to-dos with much dexterity and minimal efficiency.

Here lies the dread that comes with multitasking: Trying to achieve as much as you can at a time restrained period, and end up touching everything in bits and with a not so suitable execution. This writer refers to it as a curse because of the neverending cycle to making the same mistake again, surrendering to a conclusion that there exist no other alternatives.

But as expected, there is a twist: Are humans entrapped in a rat race of this aimless toil or do they simply turn a blind eye to what is the best, yet easily trivialise option on focusing on one thing at a time? The answer is the latter.

A survey was to be taken on how people always fall back to multitasking, a lot of responses will be generated but the majority will be targeted at trying to finish up quickly because of the limitation of time and being in a hurry to move on to something more enjoyable. Little wonder why burnout is the order of the day; combusting so much energy and only being able to give off exhaust gases as an output.


Now back to the appropriate alternative of focusing on one thing at a time. There are various definitions that are accorded to this word, identifying it as the action of concentrating or being attentive. The  definition that truly expresses this word is to converge.

To further enunciate, you have multiple things and, of course numerous thoughts and attention deviations. That’s realistic and expected but what makes your life different is converging those multiples into one key point: What matters at the moment and will be consequential in the long run. In all honesty, people tend to divert their attention to countless areas with a desire to feel a sense of achievement of doing much, but in reality doing what counts is truly what gives the feeling of satisfaction.


Why is multitasking considered a disadvantage? It is simply because you end up diverting your time to accomplish the important things in your life (and sometimes, with a mix of the unimportant) so much so that the energy that should be inputted to give maximum efficiency is dissipated and yields something mediocre or below average.

Don’t fret, there is escape routes and here are two proposition that you should consider: Focus on one task at a time. Give optimal focus to what matters and share the remainder to the rest.

“Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity.”, La Bruyere (1688). The best way to waste your time is by devoting much of your time on engagements that are inconsequential or relevant to your long term goal. You may deem this boring but in truth, your biggest problem might actually be going to pleasurable activities that can only offer temporal pleasure, spiking up hormones and propelling a good feeling.   A typical scenario comes into play in how you procrastinate what may be tasking and mentally involving, because it poses as a draining engagement; and then going on to spend the day laying on or doing things that either require little commitment or makes you happy. However, if pleasure were the order of the day, then the whole world would be in a catastrophe. Getting great outputs requires hard work and discipline, which are both unpleasant.


It is like exercising; rigorous, painful, boring but yet, profitable. Take a while to reflect on what your long term goals are, your ambitions and the life you desire in the future. This should be key in directing your thoughts on what really matters and will shape the rest of your life. Take each piece that forms the picture of your life and carefully fit them together one at a time, just carefulness and concentration, just in the same manner one would arrange a jigsaw puzzle.

Lastly, everything is nothing. The illustrations are infinite and would certainly resonate with you but highlighting a few again: No archer will get the bull-eye without being focused on the bull-eye alone and the same applies to a sniper. Focus or better still, convergence is vital to achieving top most productivity and efficiency