I find that when I try to do many things at the same time, details tend to get overlooked and missed. This creates headaches down the road and generates more of your time then if I just focused on the task at hand the first time around.
A recent book that I listened to (on my way to and from work) explained that many successful people make a list of their priorities and even go to the extent of assigning an “A” “B” or “C” next to the task. The list may be too long for anyone to achieve that day and thus the “A’s” take priority. The “C’s” may be the easier tasks to complete (and who doesn’t like to check items off their lists) but be diligent and start with the “A’s”. Once the “A’s” are done, move on to “B”. The key to this is to maximize your time as effectively as possible and hire out those items that fall as lower importance on the list. Sometimes, if the “C’s” don’t get done, they tend to solve or work themselves out. Something I have read about Warren Buffett, he teaches to write down your top 25 goals, now cross out the down 20 and focus on the top 5. This is a strategic way to prioritize your goals and forget the rest.
Some days it is hard for me to take my own advice or Warren's but I am finding that when I attack the tasks that are most important, I feel less stressed, more productive, and am starting to reach the long term goals that I set for myself.
