Monotasking
I am currently "multitasking" as I compose this post. Today is the AGM for a organization to which I belong. The meeting is online, so I'm listening as I write.
I put "multitasking" in quotes because I recently learned only 2% of the population can truly multitask (that is, perform more than one task concurrently - think of Leonardo DaVinci who could write a letter with one hand and draw a picture with the other hand at the same time).
Most people who think they multitask actually do something called "task swapping" or "task juggling," meaning they quickly switch back and forth between tasks and call it multitasking.
The reason for this is because our brains (at least for 98% of us) have the capacity to focus only on one task at a time. In fact, our brains are wired in such a way that it usually take them 20 minutes to truly get into the flow of a new task and become most creative and efficient.
Meaning, of course, if we consistently switch between tasks every few seconds or minutes, we are less creative and less efficient than we would be if we focused on one task at a time until completion. The term for this is "monotasking."
According to this resource, some examples of tasks done better as a single focus are walking, listening, travelling / commuting, and thinking. For example, instead of walking and listening to a podcast, a person will be more present and be more aware of their environment if they simply walk with no other distractions. Similarly, listening to a music album as a monotask will enable deeper listening and bring more joy from the music than one who listens to the music in the background while cleaning the house.
This doesn't mean it's always bad to do two things at once, but in this world of information overload and shrinking attentiveness, stripping away secondary things to monotask strengthens our focus and rebuilds our attention span.
The power of monotasking translates into our spiritual walk as well. Yes, we can pray as we go about our day and do other things. Yes, we can listen to worship music as we drive. Yes, we can have a God-centred conversation with someone while also thinking about what we're going to make for dinner. But what if we did only the former without doing the latter? What if we monotasked our spiritual practices?
The biblical author James puts it this way:
"Come close to the one true God, and He will draw close to you... Cleanse your heart, because your mind is split down the middle, your love for God on one side and selfish pursuits on the other.
Since the beginning, our loving Creator has been pursuing us, drawing us closer to Him. He invites us to move closer to Him so we can be fully His."
~ James 4:8 (The Voice Translation)
Reflecting on this verse, 19th century philosopher Søren Kierkegaard put it this way: "Purity of heart is to will one thing."
Multitasking does not mean we are always splitting our mind between something good and something selfish - we may be trying to focus on two great things at the same time. However, because we're trying to them at the same time, neither task gets the full attention it deserves. It also compresses our soul and robs us of the sense of rest and peace promised by Jesus.
PAUSE and REFLECT: Are you trying to fit your relationship with God into your busy life, often evidenced by multitasking our spiritual practices with other things (good or selfish)? What would it look like for you to monotask these things? Here are some suggestions:
Spend two minutes in silence, doing nothing else. To help stop your mind from thinking about other things, you can focus on your breathing (e.g. pay attention to the breath flowing in and out of your body, count your breaths, etc), or have a special word or phrase that draws your attention back to God (e.g. a name of God, or a short prayer like "I am here with you").
Close your eyes and listen to a worship song, doing nothing else
Walk slowly around your neighbourhood looking for things that draw your attention to God, doing nothing else
Read a passage of Scripture slowly and out loud, doing nothing else
Pray out loud for a need close to your heart, doing nothing else (meaning not while walking, cleaning, driving, etc).
The key here is "doing nothing else." Monotasking our spiritual practices has the ability to focus our attention and honour the practice we're doing. It also leaves us feeling more rested and at peace.
What is one spiritual practice you will monotask this week? Comment below!
[PS: it has taken me twice as long as usual to compose this email thus far because I am trying to write, listen, and vote all at the same time!]