You arrived to the office, what is the first thing you do? Is it starting a new task or following up pending issues? and why?

First check your mails. add the tasks required to be done noted from mails to the left-over tasks of yesterday. This is your to-do list of today. Prioritize your tasks with top-down approach. Then start working on the tasks. Keep updating your to-do list whenever you finish the task.

Relax, there is no sense rushing into work with a competitive mindset only to flub up projects.  

Have a LaVazza Crema E Gusto with a pastry or some tea biscuits.  

After that, check your email and vm since you would have avoided work messages in your off - time.  An over zealous and ambitious employee makes a lot of busy work for themselves and others.  Restricting work efforts to paid - time or salaried hours is ideal unless you run your own business.  In this way, the employee does not feel slighted if others advance over them and their extra tooling, become outraged, and start backbiting within the company.  

Ongoing projects should be managed like work - flow.  Always make efforts to follow-up promptly. Optimally, if you approach your work efficiently, there is less need to follow-up and more time to undertake new tasks.