The One Thing That Really Matters
The “F” word that has F, U, C but no K
Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand.
The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus.
Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922)
I like to multitask so I can get a lot done. I have a lot on my 'To Do' list. But I realized that I don't do things as well or as fast by trying to multitask.
I learned a powerful concept that all successful people do very well. It's the F word, but it's five letters. It has a 'U' and 'C' but no 'K'.
What is that F word?
FOCUS.
Yes, focus, focus, focus. Like "Location, location" for real estate.
Focus is the key to exponential growth and returns.
1. Focus on Your Strengths
Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
John Wooden (1910–2010)
Sometimes, we focus on our weaknesses to improve ourselves. It's valid. We all start in a position of 'unknowing,' 'weakness,' or 'inability' until we practice enough to become great at something. But most of us are gifted with something that comes naturally, that we love, or that we have done enough times to do well. Lean into these.
I have the gifts of creativity and problem-solving. I love surprises and magical moments, which may be why I love Disney so much and go there every year.
What are your key strengths? List the Top 3 now.
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.
Bruce Lee (1940-1973)
2. Focus on High-Impact Opportunities
Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
You learned about 80/20. Only a few things have a high impact. One thing gives you half your results.
"What is that one thing that will make everything else easier or unnecessary?"
This is the focusing question from the book, 'The One Thing'. Ask yourself this question each day.
The other focus should be on what is constraining the goal. This constraint, sometimes called the bottleneck, slows or even anchors the goal from happening. You must use your resources or abilities to remove this constraint. A series of constraints must be identified, and the biggest one must be focused on. This is from Dr. Eli Goldratt's book, The Goal, a Top 50 Best-Selling book of all time.
So, there are only two things to identify:
The goal (the one thing that will give you up to half your results)
The constraint (that blocks you from flow or your goal)
And remove all other 'distractions'.
Perfection is not when there is no more to add, but no more to take away.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944)
3. Focus on the Long-Term
Your most important work is always ahead of you, never behind you.
Stephen Covey (1932-2012)
Align short-term goals and decisions with long-term goals. Line these up like dominos to increase compounding effects over time. This is the most powerful system you can think of and develop.
We call this leverage by leveraging every goal into moving bigger goals.
We have a land, Camp Howdy, that is only accessible legally by boat. We needed to attract people here, so we bought Dining Domes. People came. Then we added lights we could program on these domes so that we could do light shows after dinner. This attracted more people. Next, we set the lights to music and expanded the light show to include the buildings. See 123Festivals.com. We sold out October's GloFest. Now we are doing Christmas Tea Lights. Next, I want to leverage this for corporate retreats.
List your 5-year and 10-year goals and then each yearly goal from now to then to accomplish them. What constraints prevent these annual goals? Remove them. Prioritize them.
My Life Question:
If you only had one wish, what would that one wish be?
I ask this to everyone I interview.
If there is only one goal you want to accomplish in your life, what is it?
We call this your mission in life. We see this as our vision.
You know Christopher Columbus, for one thing.
You know Abraham Lincoln, for one thing.
You know Charles Darwin, for one thing.
You know, Martin Luther King Jr, for one thing.
Some people have the rare gift of being known for two things or three.
What are you known for or will be known for?
Life Advice
The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
Robert Byrne (1928-2013)
Life is fractal, just like 80/20 is fractal.
The key in life is to find that one singular thing that is your Magnum Opus, your "great work," and build up toward that crescendo in your life to complete what you are destined to do, your mission if you choose to accomplish it.
Beethoven's Magnum Opus was his symphony #9 when he was deaf.
John Milton's was his Paradise Lost, even when he became blind.
What is your Magnum Opus?
Next week:
The 13 Principles of Success. That’s all you need to know.
Let’s start with the 80/20 of these Principles of Success (the first 3)
“The secret of success is to do the common thing uncommonly well.”
John D. Rockefeller Jr. (1874-1960)
See you next Thursday!
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