With many different balls in the air, it’s often impossible to get everything done. And that’s okay! Prioritization and decision making are key skills most people need to improve.
What’s particularly interesting is that when you’re a student, prioritization isn’t nearly as crucial for success. Generally, you complete all your work for all your classes. Sometimes your paper isn’t as good as it could have been, or you didn’t study as much as you wanted, but you still finished.
In the working world that’s just not the case. Tasks are not clearly defined. You set your own check points and manage your time accordingly. In some ways it’s liberating, but in others it can be crushing.
Your to-do list is constantly shifting in importance. Dancing back and forth. Demanding the scarce resource of your attention. Luckily it’s up to you who you choose to dance with.