⌛ Make One Day Feel Like Two (without working more)

From my time as a founder, I’ve discovered something counterintuitive: multitasking doesn’t just hurt your focus, it changes the way you perceive time.

When you’re constantly multitasking —

• ✉️ Checking emails while on your Zoom call

• 📱 Browsing social media while speaking to someone on the phone

• 💻 Checking Slack while working on a project

• 🍕 Or checking the status of a Doordash order as you write a blog post

— you're never truly present for any of it. Your attention is partly on one thing, partly on another, and always fragmented between two (or more) things.

The result? Your days feel shorter, more rushed, and ultimately less fulfilling.

This insight didn’t come easy for me. It emerged from my journey from a serial multitasker to a devout single-tasker. If you’re a time-strapped founder who doesn’t have enough hours in the day, then this post is for you.

📋 3 systems that’ll make your workday feel 2x as long

We already live in an extremely noisy world, but throw being a startup founder on top of that, and good luck! If you want to get off the treadmill and start focusing your time on the things that matter most in your life and business, then you need a systematic approach to get your time back. Here’s what has worked for me.

😎 1. Starting my day right

The hallmark belief of a serial multitasker is that you never have enough time in a day.

No matter what you do or how hard you work, the day always ends on a rushed and unfulfilled note. That’s why it’s so important to start your day right.

I’ve found that how you start your morning sets the tone for your entire day. Instead of immediately checking email or Slack, dedicate your mornings to focused activities without any distractions. Whether it's exercise, learning, reading, journaling or some other intentional activity, I always dedicate time for myself before diving into work.

That way, by the time I start work, I’m settled in my head and ready to focus on what matters most.

🎯 2. Practice single-tasking

Multitasking speeds up time. Single-tasking does the exact opposite.

Single-tasking is when you fully immerse yourself in a given moment rather than trying to do several things at once. For example:

• 🚫 I do not listen to music while doing any work — haven’t done it for the past seven months. If I have a meeting or call, I dedicate my attention to the call — no checking email, Slack, iMessage, or browsing the internet.

• ☕ Instead of reading the news while sipping my morning tea, I separate the two activities — I read the news only after I've finished my tea.

• 📵 At the gym, I try to just focus on working out — no music, podcasts, audiobooks, or anything.

I’m not perfect with this, but I’ve noticed that every day I commit to single-tasking feels like two "regular" days of multitasking.

When you're fully immersed in a given moment, that moment will pass very slowly. Just try focusing on the floor for three minutes straight!

🔍 3. Create focus-friendly systems

If you want to enhance your focus, you need to build systems that work with you — not against you:

• ⏰ Setting strict working hours and avoiding working into the evening (9:00 AM - 7:00PM)

• 📅 Designating specific days for deep, uninterrupted work (blocking off Wednesdays for deep work)

• 🧘‍♂️ Designing your environment to minimize distractions (minimizing clutter and digital distractions)

On days when I'm able to stick to this system, the quality of my time feels dramatically different.

I notice all sorts of details that were seemingly hidden — most of which are mundane yet simultaneously, and almost inexplicably, satisfying to notice. The layers of flavor in a cup of tea, the vibrancy of the greenery surrounding my neighborhood, or the dust that's accumulated on my bookshelf.

Bottom Line

Distracted, fragmented attention is the default mode for many founders and organizations. Those who build systems to protect their focus can access a whole new level of productivity and innovation. What’s helped me has been:

1. Starting my day right

2. Practicing single-tasking

3. And creating focus-friendly systems

The key to focus isn't to optimize every minute but to be fully present for the ones that matter.

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Thanks for reading! Reply any time. 👋🏻

Until next time,
Thenuka