Have you ever wondered how CEOs are able to be so productive? They are often coming off 110-hour workweeks, are on call 24/7/365, are always watching the numbers.
Is it luck? What's their secret?
It's not about luck. It's about cultivating a habit of focusing on one task at a time.
Elon Musk, start-up founder and CEO of Tesla Motors, is one of the most celebrated minds in business today. He recently told his employees that they should read "The One Thing."
It's more than just reading the book, it’s activating some powerful behaviours. The purpose is to focus on what matters more. Let's summarise the steps needed to attain these habits which will consequently shape your business success for years to come.
But first....
Why Focussing can feel Counter-Intuitive
How Can I Focus when I have a million ideas and things to do?
Often you will feel that focussing on a specific project, product or plan can be counter-intuitive because you don't want to miss out.
That’s because it goes against your instinctual mode of thinking, which is to do a lot of thinking at once.
Let’s start with two words: Conscious & Focused
To achieve this mind-set, you may feel some resistance.
You’re not alone.
If you want to get it right, you need to master focus.
Businesses are no different, they will naturally have moments of unfocused productivity.
It’s your job to get your focus trained!
How?
Set goals. Make sure you have concrete, practical goals and not general goals. Ever watched a game of football without keeping score? Get's kind of pointless after a while doesn't it?
Make sure your goals matter. Not just matter but really matter. Make sure your goals relate to key performance indicators. Key indicators help measure progress because: goals are one of the main things that people use that measure the effectiveness of your company's efforts.
Your goals can range from things like increasing sales by 5 percent to making more money in a month or meeting an agreed-upon key milestone.
Your business is no different.
Focus: A Powerful, Profitable Motivator
The power of focus is a core principle - not just a strategy - behind the most successful entrepreneurs in business today.
Imagine being able to take that extra 10% out of every one of your projects. To concentrate all resources and attention on just the one objective for the next three to six months.
Wouldn’t this allow you to bring your business closer to revenue?
This is what happens when you focus. Whether a startup or an existing business leader, everyone has a desire to get more out of what they are doing.
In the world of high-growth businesses, a lack of focus can be even more dangerous because this loss of attention is an invitation for opportunity to slip away.
Takeaway: Focus on Two Things, Your Goal & Results
Focus shouldn't be a choice. Here’s a summary of what makes the focus mindset the business superpower:
1. Be focused on "your goal"
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up someplace else.”
Although the temptation is always great, don't let shiny objects distract you from your focus.
Starve Your Distractions, Feed Your Focus
2. Be focused on results
Focus is often misunderstood. It is, after all, about getting out of your own way. A lot of people define their business success by ‘how much money they make’. It’s not how much money you make, it’s how much of it is spent on doing what matters.
There are only two things of value in business: time and money. Be focused on time for your goals, for success, and for your people. Time is far more valuable than money.
To focus means not just that, you must also make an effort towards reaching that goal. No matter what. And in business, this is important because you won’t get anywhere you want simply through luck.
The main focus behind the success of business people like Elon, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, etc is results. Focus and results. That’s it.
"All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Plato
Focus is one of the key differentiators between a ‘big success' and ‘average success’
Take your focus to the next level. This is where businesses become successful.
