In our family we preach the gospel of hard work and doing your best is what matters - not the result. Results will be good if you do your best and you work hard. And when I see my kids dealing with the many, many land mines of distraction I've set up in our house for them, I'll often tell them to focus, and that "You can only do one thing at a time."
The problem is, when they are at school and I'm at home I don't really follow my own advice. If you've got a second, read this article from Andy Ihatko in the Chicago Sun Times about how he's starting to realize the tools we use (especially the tools in front of a computer) might actually be working against us.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go turn off my email inbox notifications. That is, right after I check to see if anyone has responded to my latest tweet.
Multitasking is a lie - your brain needs a break :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Andy Ihnatko