We all presume Elon Musk to be a multitasker. What else, they ask, can one person do: steer Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company—on the side, revolutionizing Twitter, promoting colonization of Mars, and changing the ethics of AI?
But here’s the kicker: he isn’t even a multitasker.
The real secret to Musk’s superproductivity, according to Walter Isaacson’s Elon Musk, published in 2023, isn’t multitasking, which is handling many things at the same time. It’s focusing singularly, obsessively, on one task. Isaacson terms this “serial tasking.”
In an era where we are all struggling to do more, quicker, and at the same time, Musk’s unorthodox approach presents a very valuable lesson: the power of focus.
The Myth of Multitasking
Let’s debunk a common misconception first: multitasking is not productive. Many studies, including ones conducted at Stanford University and the American Psychological Association, have found that multitasking lowers productivity as much as 40% because of task-switching costs and cognitive overloading.
What we term multitasking is usually “task switching,” or quick switching among unfinished ideas and half-made choices. The outcome? Mental exhaustion, increased mistakes, and superficial work.
Musk does not fall into this trap. Rather than have several tabs open—literally as well as figuratively—he opens only one, dives in, and does not emerge until the task is finished or time calls for an abrupt halt.
What Serial Tasking is Like in Musk’s Life
Musk block-schedules his time in neatly compartmentalized units, frequently in 5-minute slots, dedicating laser-like attention to one activity, appointment, or challenge at a time. No effort is made to compose an email while responding to a text and participating in a Zoom call. No, he goes deep—manically deep.
For example, when Tesla teetered on the brink of insolvency during model 3 production, Musk relocated to the factory. He wasn’t shuttling back and forth between Tesla and SpaceX during this period. He devoted himself, mind and body, to resolving the “production hell” emergency. That single-mindedness is why the firm survived.
This isn’t balance—this is intensity. And it’s effective.
Applying Musk’s Approach to Your Own Life
To implement Musk’s method, you’re not required to have a billion-dollar business or a rocket lab. All you need is intention and discipline. This is how:
- Block time for single tasks
Block out uninterrupted time for one activity or project. Employ a calendar to set boundaries. Whether it’s writing, designing, programming, or solving problems, safeguard your sessions of deep work from meetings and messages.
“You can do anything, but not everything. Focus is how you win.” – Bill Gates.
- Achieve Complete Concentration During These Intervals
No multitasking. Silence notifications. Turn off email. Put your phone out of reach. Employ apps such as Freedom or Cold Turkey to block distractions. Devote your cognitive bandwidth to the task.
Musk goes “off-grid” when he’s in problem-solving bursts. This is not isolation—this is submersion.
- Use “Palette Cleansers” Between Sessions
Isaacson mentions that Musk frequently switches gears in between high-intensity sessions with brief intervals—walking, watching a meme video, or performing an unrelated quick activity. These “palette cleansers” refresh the mind, avoiding burnout while preparing it for even more intense focus in the subsequent round.
Try breathing exercises, a 5-minute meditation, or even stretching in between. Imagine it as cleaning the mental whiteboard.
- Create Urgency around Important Projects
Musk thrives in the environment created by tight timetables and do-or-die missions. Artificial urgency is imposed even for long-duration projects, driving momentum. “Do or die” attitude stimulates creative activity and bold decision making.
Make your own work urgent through self-imposed time limits, public commitments, or tying rewards to achievement.
But the biggest surprise isn’t about time management.
The real insight is here: It’s about emotional intensity.
Musk does not just concentrate—his passion is genuine. Fiercely. Isaacson describes an individual who becomes emotionally invested in anything he’s working on. Whether it’s debugging code, designing rockets, or standing up for free speech on X (previously Twitter), Musk applies a visceral, frequently all-consuming passion.
This passion drives his serial tasking. It’s why, while he works 100-hour weeks, he can still innovate at the cutting-edge of several industries.
It also accounts for his volatility—his infamous temper, revolutionary choices, and rule-bending manner. But adore him or loathe him, Musk believes in his work, and that, ultimately, is the motivation for intense concentration and dogged follow-through.
Final thoughts: Concentrate Like a Scientist, Feel Like an Artist
In this age of noise and distraction, serial tasking may be the riskiest, boldest thing you can do. Elon Musk’s achievement makes it clear that intensity trumps breadth. It’s not about doing it all—but about getting the one thing right, right now, with all you have.
So the next time you’re tempted to open 12 tabs or juggle 3 projects, pause. Ask yourself: What would happen if I gave this one task my full, undivided attention? The reply may not get you to Mars—but it may take you much further than multitasking ever can.
Focus all your mind on the task at hand. The rays of the sun do not scorch till they are brought to a point.
Dr. Prahlada N.B
MBBS (JJMMC), MS (PGIMER, Chandigarh).
MBA in Healthcare & Hospital Management (BITS, Pilani),
Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Leadership and Innovation (MIT, USA)
Executive Programme in Strategic Management (IIM, Lucknow)
Senior Management Programme in Healthcare Management (IIM, Kozhikode)
Advanced Certificate in AI for Digital Health and Imaging Program (IISc, Bengaluru).
Senior Professor and former Head,
Department of ENT-Head & Neck Surgery, Skull Base Surgery, Cochlear Implant Surgery.
Basaveshwara Medical College & Hospital, Chitradurga, Karnataka, India.
My Vision: I don’t want to be a genius. I want to be a person with a bundle of experience.
My Mission: Help others achieve their life’s objectives in my presence or absence!
My Values: Creating value for others.
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