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Many people try to juggle a growing number of unfinished tasks by multi-tasking. As we discussed in a previous post, multi-tasking just makes you less productive because our brains do not work that way. This is why modern productivity advice recommends time-boxing, time-blocking, and other techniques, which describe ways to concentrate on a single task at a time. Single-tasking focuses our attention and allows for “deep work.”
But there is a catch. In practice, few of us can afford the luxury of working for days on end on a single task until it is finished. Most single-tasking methods mean that you work on one task for a while, maybe a time block, and then move on to the next task, leaving the one you were working on unfinished. An office worker might be working on a report due next month, but still has to follow up with customers regularly. A writer might be working on a novel, but it’s all those small copywriting jobs that pay the bills. Single-tasking does not mean to finish a task before starting a new one. It means keeping them in separate time blocks and returning to each one in due time.
And therein lies the problem. When you leave a task unfinished, your brain might not let go so easily. Back in 2009, organizational scientist Sophie Leroy showed that, if you know that you will return to an unfinished task, you might experience attention residue. This means that part of your attention’s focus might be left lingering on that task while you work on the next. It is as if part of your mind kept focusing on the unfinished task, bringing back the worst part of multi-tasking: diffusing your attention, making it harder to focus on the new task, and ultimately making you less productive.
Avoiding Attention Residue
Later research showed that a simple trick can help reduce attention residue: making a “ready-to-resume” plan. Whenever you have to leave a task unfinished, devote a minute or two to plan how you will resume the task when you come back to it. Write it down, and make sure that you will see this note when you return to the task. This can be a post-it in a folder, a note in your calendar, or an entry in a notebook.
The ready-to-resume plan is based on implementation intentions, a self-help technique studied by psychologists Peter Gollwitzer and Anja Achtziger. In an implementation intention, you write down a simple “when-then” instruction to yourself that identifies a trigger and spells out an action. For a ready-to-resume plan, the trigger is simply getting back to the task, and the plan is whatever you need to do next.
Here is how to do it. Before you switch to the next task, think about what you need to work on next for the task you are leaving. Write it down as a when-then plan. For example: “When I get back to the report, I will immediately get the quarter numbers into the spreadsheet.” “When I get back to the customer list, I will call customer X for a follow-up.” “When I get back to my novel, I will write the dialogue scene in chapter three.”
To complete the ready-to-resume plan, add a short note about any problems that you were facing before you stopped. For example: “Need to aggregate the sales numbers across divisions.” “Customer X had an issue with delivery times.” “Is character X part of the dialogue scene?”
Last, write down the next steps for the next time slot of the task. For example: “Check spreadsheet results against previous quarter’s projections, then make a graph.” “Next customers in the list are Y and Z.” “Move to the action scene.”
The ready-to-resume plan does not need to be overly detailed, but it needs to be specific and in writing. Think of it as brief instructions to your future self. By writing it, you give permission to your brain to let go of the task. Because you know that you have instructions waiting for you that will help you refocus, you are dumping it outside the focus of your attention. It’s about projecting the task to the future instead of letting it live, rent-free, in your mental space.
Achieving Closure When Finishing Tasks
Attention residue might be a problem even if you have finished the previous task, because completion is not the same as closure. Your mind might still refuse to let go.
When you actually finish a task, spend a minute or two reflecting about it. Write a brief note about anything relevant you have learned. If possible, make it an instruction for similar future tasks. For example: “For future spreadsheets, plan the format first.” “For future stories, start dialogue scenes by describing the background.” Experiment with what gives you closure when finishing a task.
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Staying Flexible and Building Breaks
It might be a good idea to avoid time pressure as much as you can. If you know that a task is due and you have to finish it before a looming deadline, it will be harder to avoid focusing on it while trying to work on something else. Do not be a slave to your time blocks or task batches. Be on the lookout for tasks that are not yet urgent but will eventually be, and switch them around so that they don’t become urgent. You might be surprised at how often reorganizing tasks restores your focus.
Another technique that might help is giving yourself breathing time between tasks. This is more than just pausing. Avoid thinking about the last task during the pause. Physical activity works well for many people. Stretch. Move. Try breathing exercises. Go for a short walk. Find what clears your mind, and stick to it. Hint: No, social media will not clear your mind; it will just diffuse your attention even more.
Single-tasking with purpose means not just focusing on one task at a time, but switching between tasks mindfully. Your attention is a precious resource. Don’t leave pieces of it scattered across unfinished work.
This post is part of a series on Reclaiming Your Time.
