Imagine a tall, attractive, fortysomething mother of two. Next, envision a satellite dish on her head. If you can, you have the perfect image of my sister Trish. Her problem is that she's a Renaissance woman--blessed with too many talents. An MBA grad, she entered the workplace as a pollster, moved into advertising, and then transition into Hollywood, where she quickly became the vice-president of production for a major director.

A decade later, she met her husband and they moved out of L.A. to raise a family. She immediately turned to writing, the creative arts, and now, the educational realm. "What is her problem?" you may be asking. It's this: she's too good at too many things. With her dish-head, she picks up ideas from the universe 24/7. Any one of them could be developed into a full-time career. And so, this year, I made her promise to focus on just one endeavor and to put all the other good ideas she comes up with, on a back burner.

Has it worked? You bet it has. A mere eight months later, she's applied for a trademark for a new concept and has already arranged for national distribution of it. How does her story relate to your life? Your job? Your domestic arrangements?

Prioritize each day the things you want to get done. As you complete the items, cross them off your list. Do the same kind of planning for the next six and twelve months. Don't scatter your energies. Concentrate them.

A final word or wisdom: Do the hardest things first. In the words of Mark Twain: "If you have to swallow a frog, don't stare at it too long!"

Dr. Marlene Caroselli, author of 53 business books (see and Amazon.com) is an international keynote speaker and corporate trainer for Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, educational institutions, and professional organizations. You can reach her at mccpd@frontiernet.net.