The more we focus on the less we accomplish. At least that’s my experience. This doesn’t preclude getting many different things done, but it does mean that you need to protect your focus at any given moment in order to do good work.
Recently I’ve been playing Suduko. I love the way that it rewards concentration with a cascade of success. Focus on completing a house, a row, or a column, and you’ll be met with a series of other open moves across the board. Focusing on the entire board brings overwhelm. Focusing on a small portion opens up possibilies across the board.
In our work it is essential that we jealously guard our time and focus. Single task. Be present. To the extent you can control it, say no (or not now) to anything that will slow down the work you have before you.
James Clear put this beautifully in his newsletter:
Make the most of one opportunity and more opportunities will come your way.
Moving boldly in one direction causes more paths to unfold before you.
To get more, focus on less…