Do the One Thing

Thanks to Traci Smith for sharing her own commitment to this Great Idea in her weekly, Treasure Box Tuesday. Smith cites the Psychology Today article, Do the One Thing That Matters: Unitasking Helps You Achieve More in Less Time (September 28, 2023), by Susanna Newsonen.

Newsonen’s key points are:

  • Multitasking slows you down, increases the risk of error, and gives a false sense of productivity.
  • Unitasking helps your productivity and overall well-being.
  • If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.

She asks three supporting questions (and their deeper-dive follow-ups):

  • How do you know when you should just do that one thing and let everything else go?
    • What is it that I am yearning to do?
    • What is it that feels right, deep down?
    • In Christian terms this question might be: What is God calling me to do?
  • How do you make peace with the idea that you will only do that one thing and nothing else?
    • Notice that while focusing on one thing will help you do that one thing far better than if your attention was split between two or more tasks, perfection is not the goal
    • Notice how it feels to accomplish something done to the best of your ability within a realistic timeframe.
    • Christians might frame this stewarding God’s gifts with intention and wisdom.
  • How do you do just that one thing that matters while also letting go of the worry, guilt, and stress of not getting to the other things or having to do them later?
    • Commit to letting go of other things for the time being; create a plan for completing other tasks.
    • Develop positivity around saying ‘no’ to other things by focusing on the bigger ‘yes’ ‘burning inside.
    • Christians might view this as pursuing God’s call with an appreciation of grace, remembering that Jesus frequently had to say, ‘No’, and in fact, in becoming human, set aside equality with God’s omni-persona to accept human limitations. Grace means we can accept those limitations, as well.

If you read this before September 23, 2024, check out Faith+Lead’s 5 Practices to Cultivate a Flourishing Church by Scaling Back, which promises to help clergy, ‘Discern God’s essential work, shed unnecessary burdens, and reignite [their] pastoral passion.’

For tech-specific boundary-setting, see Nicole Havelka’s 10 Ways to Set Tech Boundaries and Boost Team Connection.

Find additional support for intentional living – in all areas of leadership and personal life – in our Simplicity/Minimalism lib guide.