Hearts boss Csaba Laszlo insists he never looks further ahead than the next game - even if it is only a friendly.
Laszlo is preparing his side for a busy run of three matches in eight days, with two Edinburgh derbies sandwiching a rearranged Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash with Motherwell.
Hearts host Hibernian in the SPL on Saturday before travelling to Fir Park and then returning to the capital to play Hibs again in a Homecoming Scottish Cup fourth-round clash at Easter Road.
Laszlo said: "The first game is the most important game. After that, the most important game is Motherwell, and after that, the most important game is against Hibs. This is my rule.
"I take every game very, very seriously and I don't think somebody can tell you, 'This is more important' or, 'That is more important."'
Laszlo is so wedded to that philosophy, he even treated his side's pre-season victory over Hull as seriously as the competitive action which followed.
"At the beginning of the season, this was for me the most important game to take confidence," he explained.
"People say, 'This is a friendly game.' No, no, no, no - it was the most important game."
Hearts and Hibs go into this weekend's meeting on the back of defeats last weekend.
But prior to then, each had strung together a good run of results in their respective bids to secure European football next season.
Predicting a "typical derby" on Saturday, Laszlo added: "I think in a derby you cannot tell what the result will be.
"We're maybe a little bit higher in the table but Hibs also have a good team.
"They play good football. They lost at home (on Saturday) and we lost away.
"It definitely will be a powerful game but we'll try also tactically to do something."
Laszlo was forced to defend his side's disciplinary record this week following two red cards in Saturday's fiery defeat at Aberdeen, taking their tally of send offs this term to seven.
The Jambos boss backed his players to stay out of trouble on Saturday but added: "It definitely will be a game where the emotion is a little bit higher. People think a little bit differently."
Laszlo insists nothing more than two derby wins will do in the coming days as he bids to kick off 2009 in style.
"After the first game in the new year, you would like to have a good beginning," he said.
"You have the three points and you have the cup.
"In the cup, you must win to go through to the next stage. The three points you need to stay where you are in the table.
"You don't have any choice; you must win both."
Meanwhile, Hearts have been boosted by the news that Jamie Mole has declared himself fit for this weekend's derby.
The striker was forced to sit out the defeat to Aberdeen with an Achilles problem but has returned to full training after responding well to treatment.
Deividas Cesnauskas is also fit after missing the visit to Pittodrie with a stomach complaint, although Bruno Aguiar is set to miss out again with a hamstring injury.
