[Suicide Junkie]

1) Micromanagment is only possible for small empires. If you are of any reasonable size, plan ahead, and decide which ministers you will clean up after.

2) Infrastructure is more important than military details.
Order defense fleets to attack a nearby target of opportunity if you like, but concentrate on your planets and production.

note: You can change planet designations (mining colony, research planet, etc) in the colonies window.