Oh, that point about trade-offs and expectations is important and does come through (which is why it was a “yes, but…” comment — I mostly agree!).

Yes. You’re right, time and focus aren’t as clean cut, and sometimes divided (or diversified) focus can make for a richer and more productive result.

I think my point was more about trade-offs and expectations. You can’t expect to have multiple focuses and get the same results as you would if you had a single focus.

But your argument is, as always, completely right. 🙂

In some things, our focus is finite and measured. A dollar you put to debt is a dollar you can’t put towards your business, and there are only so many dollars to go around.

For your energy and focus, there are still only 24 hours in a day, but I can spend 8 hours working on science and then come home and work 4 hours on finance and feel less burned-out than if I had spent 12 hours working on science. We need breaks and to shift mental gears, but sometimes you can still work towards multiple goals with having one be the break you need from another.

Now that said, it is possible (indeed, very easy) to over-load yourself. That will require making choices (and that choice may be to sacrifice sleep and health for a few months while you hold it all together by grit and stubbornness).