Focus on the Few Things that Matter

Fully focusing on the few tasks that matter most can be very difficult to do as an operational support person working in a venture capital firm. When the day gets unexpectedly hectic my concentration tends to break, especially when I am asked to complete many unrelated tasks in quick succession. When this occurs I find that the hardest part of focusing on the important tasks is figuring out what those tasks are. 

Important tasks often relate to over-arching long-term goals. Each quarter I set quarterly goals and refer back to them during hectic times. Setting quarterly goals is a tool which can help you decide which of the tasks at hand are ones that relate to your overall goals and are thus of higher priority.

Here are a few questions you should quickly ask yourself when judging your tasks:

1) Is there a higher priority task that should be completed before the one at hand?
2) Is this directly helping the main person or firm that I assist?
3) Is this task working toward a goal set for myself and/or the firm?
4) Does this task align with my firm’s Mission, Vision and Values?

Answering these questions will help you focus in on your priorities and bring your concentration back to the task at hand.