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Albert Einstein said, “Genius is the ability to focus on one particular thing for a long time without losing concentration.”
Excerpt From The No Fear Entrepreneur
So many entrepreneurs and ministry leaders fail to build their businesses/ministries because they are trying to do too much. The primary reason they experience frustration, as opposed to feeling a sense of accomplishment is a lack of focus.
Dr. Tom Barrett
“Focus is the birth canal through which dreams become a reality.”
While many people tell me they are multi-taskers, clinical research suggests the opposite. As a business person or ministry leader, your success or failure will be a direct result of how well you maximize your strengths, your passion, and how precise you are on your “Why.” Your strengths are those activities you naturally enjoy doing and would do for free your entire life if necessary. This is how every great entrepreneur in history made their success: doing what they loved and loving what they do.
One of the most significant focus stealers is what James Clear calls half-work.
“We live in the age of distraction. It is idiotically easy to become distracted between what we should be doing and the choices that society and social media bombard us with.”
Here is a classic example:
You begin working on a project, with the intention of knocking it out of the park before the close of business. After about fifteen to twenty minutes for some completely irrational reason, you randomly check your phone. For no apparent reason, just like the flashing brain-stealing tool in Incredibles 2, you surrender your conscious mind and before you know it you are checking your FB likes, seeing if anyone has uploaded some cool Pinterest pics, or if your Snapchat or Instagram account has had any hits. Since you are already there, you might as well check your Messenger Inbox, and text a friend.
So, how can we become more focused?
I think the first thing to do is rot be honest and start today. Anthony Robbins says, “One of the reasons so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus, we never concentrate our power.
Check out this hilarious video on the power of focus, and this kid is a blast to watch.
Chris Guillebeau has a great line, “The best time to start was last year. Failing that, today is an outstanding day to start!
One of my favorite authors, Simone Sinek, says, “Optimism is the ability to focus on where we’re going, not where we’re coming from. If you are looking for an exceptional resource to help clarify your why I wholeheartedly recommend his book, Start with Why? While you are at it, check out this TED talk he gave a few years ago concerning the importance of knowing your why.
In my work as a management coach, I like to ask my clients five simple questions.
1. What makes you come alive?
2. What are your core strengths?
3. Where do you add the most significant value?
4. What is your mission, your why?
5. How will you measure your life?
6. What is holding you back?
7I hope you will take a moment and reflect on these questions.
Drop me a comment, I’d love to hear from you.