The Person Who Is Everywhere Is Nowhere

If you give a mouse a cookie, he’ll ask for a glass of milk; when you give him the milk, he’ll probably ask for a straw; when he’s finished, he’ll ask for a napkin…and so on, and so on.  Ever been the mouse?  Ever had multiple tasks to complete – begin one, then part way through go to another that is slightly related or connected, then take on an extension of that one, only to forget the first task!  Not much gets done (well).  Here is a statement I heard years ago that has stuck with me and often gets broadcast in my mind at just the right time – “the person who is everywhere is nowhere”.  Now, some of you reading this are masters at effective multi-tasking (that may be debatable), but most of us could benefit from a little restraint and focus when it comes to what’s important.   Just remember the next time you are “listening” to one of your kids’ stories AND writing an email, organizing some bills, or even watching a show or the game – the person who is everywhere is nowhere. Trying to be too many places at once means that all those places suffer by not having all of me “present” – and for me, that would mean not really being there for my son or daughter (wife, mother, client, etc.) - and that is simply not acceptable!  Perhaps there are exceptions, but when it comes to the big rocks – I’ve found the sharpshooter approach generally is far more worthwhile and rewarding than the shotgun approach (metaphor only!). So when it comes to your employee, your manager, your wife, your son, your client, or whatever you are doing that is truly important – honor them by not trying to be everywhere else.