Tony St. Pierre

Code. Reflect. Evolve.

Day 47: Single-tasking is a Superpower

Summary

Multitasking is a myth. It fractures attention, slows progress, and leads to shallow work. Great work comes from focusing your entire attention on the task at hand. Deep work isn't about doing more but about doing the right things with full intention.

Most of what we say and do is not essential. Ask yourself at every moment, 'Is this necessary?' – Marcus Aurelius

Reflection

When you make your brain switch tasks all day, it slows down and loses focus.
Something gets lost whenever you bounce between coding, a meeting, and that unread message.
You burn energy recovering context. You move slower. You think less clearly.

Well-structured code avoids unnecessary complexity.
So should your day.

Marcus Aurelius reminds us to ask what's essential.
That question doesn't just shape your calendar. It shapes your mind.
Focus is a discipline. It starts when you stop saying yes to everything.

Today's Insight

Your mind doesn't like juggling. Not really.
Try doing one thing entirely, and you'll feel it click.
You stop second-guessing. You stop re-reading.
The thinking clears up. The work feels lighter.

Action Steps

  1. Review Your Workflow - Notice when your focus breaks. Ask yourself if those interruptions truly matter. Can you delay them? Can you drop them?
  2. Time-Box Deep Work - Pick a block of time. Close the tabs. Silence the noise. Even one focused hour can move real work forward.
  3. Finish What You Start - Close the current loop before switching to something else. Half-done tasks pile up. One complete task builds confidence.

Consider This

What would happen if you focused on just one thing for two hours daily?
What kind of work could you finish if nothing pulled you away?