You’re juggling a million things at once, trying to keep up, but somehow, nothing feels like it’s getting done. The to-do list keeps growing, and you’re stuck in the same place. But what if a small change could turn everything around?
It was a rainy Tuesday morning, the kind that made everyone want to stay in bed. But the Dev Team was already deep into their tasks. The office buzzed with activity, tension thick as people hurried from one task to the next. One Developer, staring at the project board full of half-finished tasks and looming deadlines, sighed. “Kya yaar, no matter how hard I work, I’m barely making a dent,” he muttered.
As he scrolled through some articles that afternoon, he came across an idea that piqued his interest…
… Controlling the amount of work-in-progress by focusing on one task at a time.
It sounded almost too simple, but with the current chaos, he figured he had nothing to lose. This frustration wasn’t his alone; it was reflected in their client interactions too.
Updates often felt busy, full of movement, but clients were still waiting for something tangible.
Despite all the activity, clear, actionable outcomes remained elusive, with too many tasks in motion and none truly complete. So, he made a quick decision: he’d experiment by taking on only one task at a time and sticking to it until it was finished before moving on to the next. The next day, he started with a single task, blocking out any distractions. Emails pinged, other tasks beckoned, but he held his ground. By the end of the day, he had completed it—start to finish, done. He moved it to the “Done” column and felt a small but satisfying sense of achievement.
“Yeh toh kamaal hai- this is too good,” he thought, surprised at how focusing on one thing actually made him feel more productive! Over the next few days, he continued the experiment, picking one task, finishing it, and then moving on to the next. He felt less rushed, more focused, and, most importantly, like he was actually accomplishing something.
Soon enough, his results didn’t go unnoticed. The Tech Lead approached him one afternoon, intrigued by how he seemed less stressed and more productive than usual. “Lagta hai kuch naya try kar rahe ho – what new are you trying? Whatever it is, that seems to be working” the Tech Lead remarked
The Developer explained his approach: “Bas ek task uthata hoon, I complete it, and then I move on to the next one.” . I’m ignoring everything else until I’m done. It’s strange, but it’s working.”
Curious, the Tech Lead decided to give it a try himself. The next morning, instead of juggling multiple tasks at once, he focused on one task, moving everything else aside. He noticed something surprising—without constantly shifting his attention between tasks, he felt sharper, like his mind wasn’t stretching thin. As he finished that first task, he realized something he hadn’t considered before: every time he switched tasks, his brain needed time to adjust. By staying focused on just one thing, he was cutting out that transition time and working more smoothly.
After a week, the difference was undeniable. Tasks were moving faster from “In Progress” to “Done,” and the board looked noticeably lighter. The team, known for multitasking to the point of burnout, had found a new rhythm. There was less hopping around, fewer distractions, and more time spent finishing things thoroughly.
What the Developer had stumbled upon was more than just a productivity hack—it was a fundamental shift in how the team worked. As more people on the team adopted the one-task-at-a-time approach, they realized that the constant switching between tasks had been holding them back. It wasn’t just about getting more done; it was about how they worked…
… Every switch between tasks was like hitting a reset button, forcing them to refocus and recalibrate. The fewer times they did that, the faster and cleaner their work became.
The Developer who started it all looked around the room and saw the impact. Even the Project Manager, who usually struggled to keep up with unfinished tasks, remarked, “This is actually working! Pehle lagta tha ke multitasking se zyada hota hai, but now I realize that focusing on one task at a time is more effective.”, but now I see focusing on one thing is far more productive.”
As the days passed, the team felt a renewed sense of accomplishment. During a team meeting at the end of the month, the Tech Lead took a moment to acknowledge the transformation. Looking at the Developer who had initiated this change, he said with a nod, “Honestly, none of this would’ve happened if you hadn’t taken that first step. You showed us that sometimes the smallest change can make the biggest difference. Thanks for inspiring us to work smarter, not harder.”
The Developer, caught off guard, managed a grateful smile as the rest of the team joined in with nods of agreement. It felt good to be recognized, and even better to know that together, they had found a way to break free from the chaos—one task at a time.
What began on that rainy Tuesday morning had evolved into a team-wide shift. They discovered that simplifying their approach and tackling one task at a time transformed their workday and helped them deliver their best results. They realized that constant switching between tasks—often referred to as context switching—was not just frustrating; it significantly hindered their efficiency.
Each time they shifted their focus, they incurred what is known as setup time—the moments it took to mentally prepare for the new task—and set down time—the time lost in disengaging from the current task. Additionally, the pitfalls of bad multitasking—trying to handle multiple tasks simultaneously—often led to more errors and less satisfaction in their work. They found that true time-sharing—where tasks are managed efficiently without the drawbacks of multitasking—was the key to their newfound productivity.
As they embraced this new way of working, they found that their overall efforts decreased by about 10%, while their productivity soared. Fewer mistakes, fewer switches, and more focus led to smoother workflows and faster completion of tasks. They learned that by minimizing context switching, they could maintain their momentum and clarity of thought, which ultimately enhanced their output.
At the end of it all, they understood that by cutting out the habit of juggling tasks, they had saved time and energy without even realizing it. The principle was clear: the fewer times they switched between tasks, the more efficient they became.
Have you ever tried focusing on just one task at a time? We’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences on how it affects your workflow. Share your insights with us—we’re all learning together!
