The cost of context switching, measured
Half my week used to be reconstruction: where was I, what changed, what is the state here. That tax does not show up on any invoice.
The tax with no line item
The most expensive thing I do is not any one task. It is the switch between them. Open the tracker, then email, then the books, then the drive, then chat. Every switch costs a small reconstruction, and across enough clients the reconstruction becomes the job.
Why it compounds
One client, the switching is manageable. Each additional client multiplies the surface area, because each one has its own tools, its own state, its own where-was-I. The tax grows faster than the revenue, which is exactly why practices stall right when they try to grow.
What removing it feels like
When the context lives in one place, the morning changes shape. Less recovery, more reasoning. I open the client and the picture is already there, so the hour goes to the decision instead of to rebuilding the inputs for it.