Doing Everything is a Trap, Doing Nothing is Worse

Ever heard the saying "Don't put all your eggs in one basket"? If you haven't, then you probably never had to make a "life-changing" decision. Or you're probably not a Nigerian. Either way, one of the things I have come to understand is how culture and traditions have their way of influencing and shaping your mindset. But that saying really has done more harm than good to a lot of people and to some businesses as well (people make up businesses).

Now I'm not saying it's bad advice, but striking a balance is key. As an entrepreneur, you reach a point where diversifying becomes not only possible but necessary. That is why i've agree more with Elon's version, "It's okay to have your eggs in one basket as long as you control what happens in the basket."

While not focusing on one thing is a very valid way to derisk, you must know when it isn't; otherwise, it becomes counterproductive. And like everything, prioritizing requires strategy (Tactics ni Ki ni yi "in mc remote's voice"). People lie to themselves with things like, “But Elon is doing it,” running SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, X (formerly Twitter), and now DOGE. What we often miss is that these ventures started at different timelines. He founded SpaceX in 2002, joined Tesla as lead investor in 2004, became CEO in 2008, and co-founded Neuralink in 2016. This timeline shows a clear pattern: he didn’t take on everything at once. He used the time gaps to develop and set a prioritization strategy that allowed him to focus and build one venture at a time and then replicate his approach across other businesses. with obvious result. If you spread your time, effort, and resources across multiple initiatives in an attempt to be exceptional everywhere, the impact of your success will be diluted. True impact comes from focusing deeply on one thing.

Prioritizing sharpens your focus. It ensures that your time and resources are used effectively, boosting productivity. It also frees you to concentrate on problem-solving, think creatively, and develop innovative solutions — all vital for your business growth.

Why it matters

1. Enhance Focus and Productivity

You might have multiple business ideas, strategies, and tasks pulling at your attention. Prioritizing helps you focus on the one that matters most, allowing you to channel your energy for exceptional results.

2. Creates Sustainable growth

With the right focus it helps your business to stay on track with your vision, which gives birth to sustainable and long-term success.

3. Competitive Advantage

In a world where most people are eager to put their eggs in different baskets, dedicating your time to one thing at a time allows you to accomplish tasks that others may find challenging— setting your business apart and establishing a standard of excellence.

Now that a basic foundation has been established on Prioritizing, let’s explore techniques to help you prioritize effectively:

1. Set Clear Goals to Strengthen Decision-Making

Prioritizing begins with clarity — clarity on the decisions you need to make now that align with your long-term vision.
Clear goals lead to better choices. From your available options, decide what to concentrate on and where to invest your skills, time, and resources.

2. Eliminate Distractions

Anything that feels like a backup plan can become a distraction. While it may be difficult to let go, doing so is often necessary to maximize growth in the area you’ve chosen to focus on.
Cutting off lesser priorities clears the path for real progress.

3. Set Achievable Milestones

Milestones help you stay accountable and allow you to track your progress. They act as checkpoints — keeping you focused, motivated, and steadily moving toward your ultimate goal.

4. Celebrate Progress

Acknowledge the progress you’ve made. Celebrating milestones helps maintain momentum and reinforces the importance of staying committed to your top priority.

5. Replicate, But Only After Maturity

Give yourself time before replicating your approach. This intentional gap allows you to grow capacity, develop personally, and build a business that can operate without your constant input.
Only then does it make sense to diversify your energy and resources.

Success and sustainable growth don’t come from doing everything at once — they come from doing the right things at the right time with the right level of focus.

From experience, I’ve learned that trying to do everything at once leads to scattered energy and shallow results.
Giving your undivided attention to what matters most is the game-changer. When you protect your focus, you protect your future.

Before diversifying, ask yourself, Have I built something sustainable?
If the answer is no, the wisest move is to pause, focus, and go deeper.

So — what stage are you in?
Are you building? Spreading yourself too thin?
Let’s discuss how to build strategically.