81. Do One Thing at a Time

We’re all familiar with the image of the modern American yuppie barreling down the highway in his BMW while talking on the car phone to his office and pulling an urgent memo off the car fax. He’s in the process of closing a major deal with the executive sitting in the front seat next to him, assuming he can get to the sales presentation meeting at his client’s office across town on time.

Or the young executive who’s having a relaxing weekend at home in front of the TV with her family. She’s changing the baby’s diaper and talking to her boss long distance, while keeping her mother-in-law on call waiting. As soon as she’s off the phone(s), she’ll be wrapping up the game of Go Fish with her three-year-old so the kids can finish their snack before the ten dinner guests arrive for the business meeting she’s hosting for her husband.

We each could tell our own version of this “gotta do it all” madness that has pervaded our lives. Do we really get more done by trying to do everything at once? Maybe. Does it really matter? Probably not. Are we happier at this frenetic pace? Most definitely not. Can we do anything about it? Yes. Just as we gradually learned to do ten things at once, we can gradually learn to do one thing at a time.

Start with a list. Not the HAVE TO DO TODAY list you have in your Day Runner, but a new list of the things that really matter. Cut the list in half, then pick the most important thing, and do it. Then, and only then, go down the list, doing each thing, one at a time. As much as possible, allow no distractions, no interruptions. After the first couple of weeks, consider it a major accomplishment if you are able to cut in half again the number of things you feel you have to do each day.

With a little discipline and regular self-checks, you can learn to do one thing at a time. And do it better. And be happier doing it.