I am 29 and am starting to struggle with this sort of thing. I realized that part of the problem, for me, was how easy it was for me to get distracted. When I v

I am 29 and am starting to struggle with this sort of thing. I realized that part of the problem, for me, was how easy it was for me to get distracted. When I view a problem like a vast tree and try to keep track of all of it at once, I become overwhelmed. When I focus on one branch of a problem until it's done, then start on the next part, I may end up doing things less "elegantly" than if I grok the whole thing at once, but I get a hell of a lot more done due to no overhead from context switching. Do one thing at a time, for a long time. Rapid context switching causes anxiety and decreases cognitive ability. Choose one part of one problem and work it for one hour. Write down everything from every part of your life. Everything in your brain. It can be multiple places. The point is to not have to keep track of things in your head, so you can focus on what's in front of you. Check out GTD if you're so inclined. I use that methodology organized in Remember The Milk. It helps.