A few words about focus

There are lots of videos, podcasts, and articles about how to build and optimize this and that. There's always a new tool you can use that might make your workflow easier. There are lots of ways to do marketing and branding. Lots of opportunities to network, meet new people, and build new collaborations. Many people, including myself, who are ambitious, hungry, and just starting out to create something of value, may have fallen into this one trap: 

It's the trap of doing a lot, thinking we're productive, thinking we're moving in the right direction, and accumulating more and more knowledge. We think that we're getting better and better and that our chances of success with our various projects and ideas are increasing. But often, if we're really honest with ourselves, are we really moving the big, the most important, the most valuable piece of work in the right direction? 

Most of the time the answer is no.

And while there could be all sorts of reasons why we're not doing the kind of work that would really move the needle and leapfrog our progress. 
In this article, I want to focus on just one of those reasons. One of the most influential qualities when it comes to turning an idea into reality.

We tend to consume a lot of information because we're afraid of missing out on some valuable piece of information that would change the roadmap of our idea/project. The problem is that by over-consuming information, we spend too much time deciding on a path, which ultimately slows down our implementation and hinders our progress.

If we look at what the great ones did to build their businesses and turn their ideas into reality, there is one key fundamental that can be found in their work ethic. And that is their tremendous ability to focus on what really matters. Their ability to say no to all the good-looking ideas and distractions that seem like a good idea at first. But they've already learned that by saying no to something good, they have the chance to say yes to something great.

Building something, putting it out there, collecting feedback, reflecting on what we've done, making some changes for improvement, learning from mentors, reading, listening, observing more, gaining up-to-date knowledge, and expanding our area of expertise - all this is important, yes. But at the end of the day, the main motto should be focus focus focus.

If you don't like what you've created, then change the course and do it differently, but before that, we should be able to say to ourselves that we did the best we could in the given circumstances. And that means we've taken the time to remove the distractions as best we can and focus on what really matters. Sometimes that means re-focusing and being honest with ourselves about whether we're really doing what's most necessary at the moment to build the beautiful idea that sparked our ambition.

Ready to dive into the depths of psychology, philosophy, and modern society?
Take the next step and join our vibrant community! Subscribe to our free newsletter for a dose of quick, insightful articles - we'd love to have you on board. And hey, if it's not your vibe, no worries; you can unsubscribe anytime! 📨📲

Best regards
- Gatlin Crawford