People tend to approach work in two very different ways.

There is the hunter and  the gatherer.

The hunter approaches their work like a bowman tracking an elk. All of her attention is focused on finding and killing the elk. She isn't thinking about anything else. She can't afford to. She isn't thinking about the squirrel or the pheasant or the bass she saw leap out of the lake.  If she doesn't come home with the elk, she will starve.

The gatherer, on the other hand, spends his days turning over dozens of logs and stones to see what he might find. In the morning, his attention might be on the blackberry bush. In the afternoon, his attention might be on the fairy ring Morel mushrooms. In the evening, his attention might be on the patch of wild onions. For the gatherer to prosper, his focus must be a little bit slippery, like water.

Which is better depends entirely on your vocation. If you're a novelist, you must work like a hunter. If you're a graphic designer––fielding multiple projects at once––you must work like a gatherer. If you're a programmer, you must work like a hunter. If you're a creative director––overseeing dozens of copywriters and art directors––you must work like a gatherer.

The only sin is to not know which approach is best for you, your vocation and the way you work best.