Why Focus is a Superpower (And what is keeping you from harnessing it)
In this series of posts, I ask the question, “If it’s so obvious, why are you not doing it?” I deconstruct a simple concept and discuss what is obvious and what is not obvious about that concept. Click here for part 2 which covers firing.
What is obvious about focus?
Focus is a superpower. Harnessing our energy on a single goal for a long period of time is THE simplest, most consistent formula for greatness. Read any biography of a great leader, inventor, or pioneer and you will typically observe a monomaniacal obsession with a single cause or goal. Warren Buffett has read 10-Ks and financial reports for 6-8 hours per day for 60 years. Steve Jobs took seven years of intense focus to introduce the iPod. Walt Disney spent three full years working on the animated feature film Snow White.
Most people actually want more focus and fewer distractions in their lives. Over 50% of people feel like they are constantly interrupted throughout the day, and it takes an average of 25 minutes to get back into a state of focus after an interruption, according to a UC Irvine study. Task switching kills productivity, focus, and creativity.
“Over 50% of people feel like they are constantly interrupted throughout the day, and it takes an average of 25 minutes to get back into a state of focus after an interruption, according to a UC Irvine study. ”
There are dozens of books on the power of setting and prioritizing clear goals [see my post here]. When asked for a single word to which they ascribe their success, both Bill Gates and Warren Buffett wrote the same single word: “focus.” And yet, I sit in board meeting after board meeting where management rolls out a list of their top 15 priorities (a list of 15 priorities is the antithesis of focus!). I watch people spend wildly more time on things that don’t matter than those that do. I will ask an entrepreneur, “What’s the single thing that only you can do, that if done well will have the greatest impact on your organization [life, goal, etc.]?” They often answer that question easily. But then I say, “Let’s look at your calendar for the past month and see how much of your energy you spent on that priority.” And often the answer is literally zero. Zero time. So what is going wrong?
What is not obvious about focus?
You need to make focus urgent
In his best-selling book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen Covey shows the matrix below.
The average American worker unlocks their phone 80 times a day and spends more than three hours returning emails and over two hours on social media. All of that activity falls somewhere between quadrant 1, 3, and 4. And yet 97% of Americans do not have clear, written goals, an activity which falls in quadrant 2. The magic of what Covey writes is that most of the truly powerful activities we can undertake actually fall in quadrant 2. They are important and NOT urgent. What falls into this category? Planning, thinking, writing out goals, coaching your team, spending time with your children, exercising, meditating, reading, and writing.
Being intentional about determining your priorities and planning your day is important, but never feels urgent. We have to be intentional to make time for those things which are not urgent and most people never do. That is why focus is such a unique superpower.
How do you make focus urgent? One simple way is to take control of your calendar.
Your calendar is your best weapon for developing the superpower of focus.
None of us have infinite reservoirs of discipline. But we can have discipline for 30 minutes per week. Start by making a recurring 30-minute appointment with yourself. Mine is on Sunday afternoon. During this slot, do two things: (i) write out your goals, and (ii) plan your calendar for the next several weeks. Schedule time to work on your biggest goals.
Taking over your calendar will literally save you decades in achieving your goals. When we set a big goal at Alpine, we draft a small team and then put a weekly meeting on the calendar until we complete the goal. It’s amazing how quickly we achieve goals using that simple method. You can use your calendar to make time to work out, to go on date night, to meet with friends, or to plan, think, read, write, and meditate—all of the important, but not urgent activities.
To harness the superpower of focus, start by putting yourself among the top 3% of people in the U.S. who actually set clear goals, then align your day and your calendar on your terms.
You need to decide what you want.
My mentor Irv Grousbeck has an expression, “Without a clear plan, all activity feels like progress.” The origin of the word “decide” is to “cut off.” It means to remove the alternatives. The process of cutting things away or removing options may be the hardest of all. Being focused forces you to make difficult choices. Ask yourself, what matters? What’s important? What pursuit is worthy of my life and energy? What am I willing to give up? Many of us never take the time to answer these questions. We don’t put anything positive on the list and we don’t commit to removing trivial activities. We don’t decide. Because we haven’t made a decision, we tend to blow whichever way the wind blows. We look at social media, we answer emails, we watch TV. We aren’t willing to say “I care about X more than anything else.” Making a decision like that is tough. It requires a lot of confidence and a lot of courage. This process of defining a goal and focusing on it also takes time. It’s hard to do. I suggest finding a coach, a friend, or both, and carving out blocks of time several times each week to examine your life, long-term goals, and priorities. Can you think of any better use of your time?
You have to say “no” to good ideas.
In fact, sometimes you have to say “no” to great ideas. It is easier to say “no” to great ideas if you’re super clear and excited about what you ARE focused on. Many people haven’t established their primary area of focus or aren’t excited about it, so every new email, meeting, or idea carries them toward a different activity and different place. Many leaders think that their job is to do more. They think, “Most people can only do one thing well, but I’m going to over achieve.” No. You’re not. You’ll diffuse your and your team’s energy. You’ll confuse the ranks. Your job as a leader and in your own life is to provide focus and clarity, not lengthen your or your team’s to-do list. Do less, but crush it.
“Your job as a leader and in your own life is to provide focus and clarity, not lengthen your or your team’s to-do list. Do less, but crush it.”
You sometimes have to disappoint people.
This is also counterintuitive. Personally, I am a people pleaser. Graham, can you join the intern training? Can you drop in for this meeting? Can you help me with this call? Can you meet with this person? Which of these is important? I feel comfortable taking these calls and meetings only when I know I’ve scheduled big time blocks for my large goals. And I often have to disappoint people. I have to say “no” to most requests.
Most of us confuse the game we think we should be playing as “How much can I do?” The game we should be playing is “How can I bring intention to my life and do the important things well?”
Make time to plan your life. It’s one of the most important investments you can make.
There are a few concepts which are disproportionately valuable. They have asymmetric returns. I have come to realize that many of these concepts are generally well known; they’re obvious. And yet, these are the concepts that we have the most difficulty following. They are disproportionately valuable precisely because they are so uncommonly followed. Over the years, I realized there are some not-obvious obstacles in our way.
This post on focus is part 1 in this “What is not Obvious” series. Click here for part 2 which covers firing.