Too Many Tabs Open
I sat down at my computer this week and realized I had over 50 tabs open across two different browser windows - about twice as many as usual. Some of you might be thinking, “That’s nothing, I’ve got over 100,” and others might be horrified by the thought of that much chaos on one screen.
The reasons were varied, an item I was considering purchasing, a handful of articles I was halfway through, my LinkedIn page, fantasy football, vendors I was researching, and documents I’d recently referenced or hadn’t quite finished, and many more. I told myself that keeping all those pages open would make it easier to get back to things later. But I had clearly crossed the threshold where it was actually helping me.
Anthony pondering which tab to tackle next
A research team at Carnegie Mellon University found that many people experience “tab overload.” Participants described feeling emotionally invested in their open tabs, which made it hard to close them even as they began to feel overwhelmed. The study also found that tabs often become a poor substitute for memory and focus, cluttering our mental space more than helping it.
That hit home for me. Those tabs had become digital clutter. Tiny, blinking reminders of unfinished tasks and good intentions. And just like too many browser tabs slow down your computer, too many open loops can slow down your ability to think clearly.
As leaders, we face the same challenge. There’s always another idea to explore, a project to manage, or a person to support. But when everything feels equally important, nothing gets our best attention. Great leadership isn’t about keeping more tabs open, it’s about deciding which ones deserve our focus, which can be saved for later, and which we simply need to close.
Decluttering isn’t just about productivity, it’s about presence. When we clear space, we allow ourselves to focus on the most important tasks and do better work in the process. We also make room for what matters most: thoughtful decisions, meaningful conversations, and intentional leadership.
So maybe this week, start by closing a few tabs on your browser, and in your mind.
(For the record I’m down to 15)
Keep MIBE-ing!
Anthony Lambatos
Founder, MIBE Hospitality Culture Training
Owner, Footers Catering
P.S. Make time to focus on your leadership! Join us at our MIBE Summit January 25th - 27th.
