Focus
If there is one word that summarizes what it takes to be successful in life it is Focus.
Whatever you Focus on You Will Achieve
Whatever is Focused on gets Acted Upon
Think of anyone who has experienced outstanding success. The common theme will always be focus:
Thomas Edison
Muhammad Ali
Walt Disney
William Shakespeare
Elvis Presley
Gandhi
Frank Sinatra
David Beckham
Martin Luther KingIt doesn’t matter who you think about, if they have achieved exceptional success it is because they focused on their one pursuit to the exclusion of every other hobby, interest, pastime or passion.
Many successful people are so focused it borders on obsession. I am not advocating that because balance is just as important. But focus is the key to success.
I read Warren Buffett’s biography recently, and there were a number of stories about his focus. For example Warren and his wife would sometimes have dinner parties at their home. On occasion, halfway through dinner, Warren would simply get up from the table, not say anything and go upstairs to his office and read annual reports. Can you imagine inviting a group of friends for dinner and disappearing to go and focus on your overriding passion?
In fact both Warren Buffett and Bill Gates are on record stating that they attribute their success to one trait: Focus.
This from Bill Gates:
“I’ve learned that only through focus can you do world class things, no matter how capable you are.”
Bill Gates Sr. once asked Warren Buffett what was the most important thing in achieving in life? Warren Buffett answered “Focus“.
Let me quote from Warren Buffett’s biography:
“He [Warren Buffett] ruled out paying attention to almost anything but business – art, literature, science, travel, architecture – so that he could focus on his passion.”
The principle of Focus is evident in my life and I bet it is in yours. The most success you have had in life will have been where you have focused your time and energy. Not only that, but the areas of your life that have been unsuccessful have been the ones where you have not focused your time and energy. In fact if you think right now about what is great in your life and what is not, you will be able to see immediately where you have focused:
Your Relationships Your Career
Your Fitness Your Weight Your Marriage Your Finances
So practically, what do we need to do if we really want to succeed in a specific area of our lives?
In order to have a balanced and full life there are three areas that have to take priority over your passion, or any specific focus:
Faith, Family, and Friends These must be your Primary Focus.
Once you have made sure that these are your Primary Focus, you should give all of the rest of your focus to your Passion.
In this way you will achieve both a balanced life and outstanding achievement.
So to summarize:
Primary Focus
Faith, Family, Friends
Secondary Focus
Your Passion
“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.”
Bruce Lee“Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives.”
Tony Robbins