Should we really focus on one thing at a time?

Similar to the way you need both exploration and exploitation in order to foster innovation, you need both open loops and closed loops to produce great work.

• In the exploration phase, you may wander through many creative paths. 
• In the exploitation phase, you will choose a few select ones of these paths to execute. 

First, you create open loops to cultivate your creativity; then, you close those loops to increase your productivity.

There is no doubt multitasking is a productivity killer. However, great work is not purely about being productive — we need to be creative as well.

Research suggests that the more ideas we generate, the more creative they become. Focusing on one thing at a time too early in the creative process defeats the purpose of the exploration phase.