When I was a little boy, I discovered the power of a magnifying glass. It made things look bigger and more focused.
I soon learned another power of that magnifying glass. When you focused it on a tiny spot and held it there long enough, it would burn a hole in a piece of paper.
Whether it is lightbulbs or laser beams, the only difference is focus.
When you are genuinely focused on something, you look at the task at hand under a proverbial magnifying glass. Whether you are in business or just reaching personal goals, you need to be absolutely laser-focused. You must have the ability to pay attention to the things that matter and avoid distractions.
American management consultant and author Peter Drucker, in his book, "The Effective Executive," outlines five habits of the mind that must be acquired to be an effective executive. Two of them apply to focus:
Effective executives focus on outward contribution. They gear their efforts to results rather than to work. They start out with the question, "What results are expected of me?"
Effective executives set priorities and stick with them. They know that they have no choice but to do first things first, and second things not at all. The alternative is to get nothing done.
Focus is the doorway to all thinking — learning, problem-solving and decisionmaking. Without total focus, everything suffers. You need to focus on the right things.
