Some people prefer to finish a project completely before starting another. Others prefer to do two or several projects at the same time. Which way would you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.
有人喜欢开始新项目之前先做完手头的项目，而有人更乐于两个甚至几个项目同时进行。你更喜欢哪一种方式？请用具体的理由和事例来说明。
I am always much more efficient if I focus all my attention on one project at a time. The problem with trying to “multi-task” is that it is much too easy for me to get distracted and spend too much time on projects of less importance. For example, if I decide to paint my kitchen, it is very important that I follow through on all the steps in sequence-cover up the kitchen counters and other surfaces, lay drop cloths on the floor, clean and prep the walls and ceiling, gather all my painting tools, then begin to paint. If I stop to accomplish any other task half-way through （like decide to reorganize my bedroom closet） I will run out of time and energy for the painting project and wind up with a messy and unusable kitchen.
One advantage of the “finish-one-project-at-a-time” approach is that it forces me to pay particular attention to the task at hand and not be distracted by other thoughts. Thus,my kitchen painting project turns out much better since I am really conscious of how much paint I need on my brush, how strong a stroke I need to use on the wall or ceiling,and how careful I need to be around edges and corners.
Another advantage to my approach is that it saves me much time in the long run. If I am continually running off to take care of other matters （Clean out the closet! Wash the car!）， it will no doubt take me at least twice as long to finish my painting job. Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motors, is also the inventor of the assembly line, a system by which each worker is responsible for just one part of the overall process to construct an automobile. Ford's efficient method resulted in better-built and less expensive cars because his workers could remain completely focused on doing just one task well.
It all comes down, really, to the ability to prioritize effectively. First I must make a list of things I need to accomplish, then prioritize them according to importance, then tackle each item on the list one by one. In this way, I can concentrate all my efforts on one task at a time, but also feel that I am making progress in dealing with all the items on my list. The most successful organizations have learned to “do one thing right.” This is my motto, as well.
