You’ve probably heard about the various studies that show it’s not efficient to multi-task. Some people get the term wrong: it’s about doing more than one thing at the same time, not about having a lot of projects on the go. The latter is fine, at least up to a point.
If you want proof that multi-tasking doesn’t work, just notice how many people are walking down the street trying to text at the same time. They weave around like drunks, and sometimes they walk into a pole or, more likely, into you.
In fact research shows that when we try to multi-task, we’re not really doing two or more things at the same time; actually, we’re switching back and forth between them frequently, which leads to mental fatigue and not doing either of them very well.
Use chunks of time to focus on one thing at a time. The ideal is 90 minutes per project, but that’s not always possible. Even fifteen minutes each on two things is better than half on hour trying to do both at the same time. You’ll get more done, do it better, and feel fresher at the end.
(One small task you can tackle right now: ordering my book on time management for creative people. It's called "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done," and you can get it from Amazon or your other favorite online or offline book seller.)
