Big “F” Word and Why It Matters

Now I’ve got your attention, let me clarify, this article is not about what you think is.

 Among other things, humans are influenced by two emotions called “greed” and “fear”. The greed to acquire more and the fear of missing out are driving a lot of us. The feelings are so strong that several of us are endlessly chasing an illusion. We’re always running on treadmill reaching nowhere and trying to do too many things. As once a wise man has said, doing too many things does not mean a lot gets done.

 Ask yourself a question – What are the goals you’re trying to fulfill? What is the rush? The answer invariably is a) My goals for the year are …. Followed by a list of things. If you’re a business leader, the next time you’re in a business strategy meeting or a review meeting or a planning meeting. Ask your team questions like – How do we grow? What should the various departments be doing to help us grow? Or How should we improve our operational efficiency? The answer will likely be about chasing the silver bullet or doing the next big thing or the latest buzz word of all – artificial intelligence.

 We often confuse ourselves between goals and activities. We tend to believe that we can multi-task or can partition our time say 20% equally among all the activities or do justice to several things at the same time. The reality is often underachieved goals, half-finished plans, frustration and disappointments.

 So, what is the answer? Introducing the big “F” word – Focus. It is about concentrating our energies into achieving one, seeing things clearly, achieving more by doing less, and not giving in to the temptations of greed. Staying focused is about building a routine, a discipline and not losing faith in the power of aligning all of our energies into achieving the goal. Focus brings clarity; focus helps us save our energies from spending into random directions. Have we not done the experiment where concentrating the sun’s rays using a lens ends up burning the paper?

 Similarly, goals cannot be many. Have you seen several goal posts in football or hockey sports? So, why have several goals in our lives and not do justice to any? Don’t confuse goals with activities. Goal is the destination whereas activity is the journey. Bill Gates once said – Most humans overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years. So, stay focused, and achieve your full potential.