Focus is one of the keys to success. All-star athletes and entrepreneurs practice it day in and day out until the big win. It’s not just about keeping your eye on the prize, it’s setting goals and thinking about the execution of them and not letting anything distract you while you’re executing.
My senior year of high school I came up with a list of three goals I wanted to accomplish by the end of the year: be commencement speaker, win Texas State in debate, and get into Duke. My results: I got into Duke, got third place at the Texas State debate tournament, and didn’t make commencement speaker. I was pretty happy with 2 out of 3. When I got to Duke my junior year I decided I was going to switch into the engineering school and finish my EE degree in two years. I did.
How did I accomplish my goals? Well lets just say all I did was eat and breathe debate and college applications my senior year of high school. While my fellow Blue Devils were tenting, I spent my junior and senior year squatting in the engineering school’s basement.
I know it might not seem like much fun, but I loved every moment of those years, and being focused on something I’m passionate about is what keeps me going. The start of 2010 is another year of focus. As I get more involved with my own startup I realize that my days are spent prototyping, doing usability tests and talking to customers, brainstorming with my partner, and doing an ungodly amount of paperwork to keep the business running smoothly.
The following sounds tough and regimented, but its how I’ve learned to stay focused:
- Minimize distractions. I ex-communicate myself from the outside world for a few hours each day. Its the only way to think and get things done.
- Keep a level of detachment and realize that things are outside your control. I’ve gotten pretty good about not worrying when I get stuck in traffic, have learned to brush people off who are rude, and when calamities strike I’ve learned to go with the flow.
- Stay healthy. I’ve always been a health nut, but I’ve become even more so lately to avoid getting sick by up’ing my workout regimen – mostly Bikram Yoga, adding a couple hours of sleep, and minimizing indulgences (wine, coffee, and sweets).
- No multi-tasking. Should be obvious that you can’t focus on one thing if you’re doing three things. I move from one task to the next and try to take breaks on the hour.
- Rewards & priorities. I take off 1-2 nights off a week and try to spend it with close friends. Friends and family are important to me, even more so than business, and I want to be there for those who love and care about me.
Finally, its easier to focus when you’re happy doing what you love, and by surrounding yourself with people who want to support you.
Good points – What lies on top of them, as a meta-point, is the awareness that these are important and the willingness to follow them. Too often I see people who just nod their heads and never get down to actually doing it.
This is encouraging to hear when one’s in the basement alone.