Fanatical Focus Requires Frequent Flexibility
I had plans today. I had a schedule. I had goals, timetables, and I was fired up to get some stuff done.
None of it happened.
And that’s fine.
It’s no secret that fanatical focus is a predictable character trait of anybody who achieves a lot in their life.
Those who can focus, avoid distractions, and diligently get tasks done without procrastination are more likely to succeed in any number of areas that they set their minds to.
Ordinarily, that kind of focus requires some kind of goal setting exercise like this:
- decide what you actually want
- figure out what it takes to get it
- establish what you are going to do, when you’re going to do it, and how you’re going to get it done
- do it — regularly, and without fail.
That is a (short, 4-ingredient) recipe for success.
But there’s a problem sometimes — I call it “life”.
When Focus Needs to Take a Back Seat
Sometimes priorities need to shift in favour of more important things.
Sick kids, sick wife and other matters needed to take priority today.
Of course, those things weren’t on my “list”.
I didn’t get the podcast recorded that I was going to do.
I didn’t finalise the downloads and checklists for my latest online course for lawyers.
I didn’t get to consider a website redesign.
And I didn’t get to write another portion of my next book.
These things are important.
But they needed to shift. For today, at least…
Focus can Shift… But Not Permanently
The problem with allowing a little flexbility in your life is that it’s a greedy creature.
Flexing once can result in flexing again.
And again.
And again.
All of a sudden the goals you have carefully set for yourself move out of “goal” territory and into “aspiration” territory. And from there, it’s a steady path down towards “I really wish I could…”
So you need to be careful. Yes flexibility is important, when important things come up.
But flexibility isn’t an excuse for inactivity. It’s not a good enough reason to give up your goals entirely.
Flexibility Can Cause Bitterness
I used to be the kind of person who had no desires.
Or, in truth, I wasn’t prepared to be honest with myself about actually wanting things.
For whatever reason, I’d grown up thinking that wasn’t cool. That if I wanted things that meant I was being selfish.
That wasn’t very healthy.
Although I accept wholeheartedly that a lifestyle of generosity is to be embraced (particularly in marriage, where it seems to have been sidelined in some circles), being generous and being satisfied are not mutually exclusive concepts.
The danger is that you constantly flex your own needs to serve others, and in doing so you become bitter.
You begin to resent the people that you wanted to serve.
That’s the path to the dark side…
But On the Other Hand…
So being self-aware and having an honest appreciation of what you actually want is important.
But then, being constantly self-absorbed and ultimately focused on your OWN goals is hardly the way to go either, is it?
How would my kids feel if, instead of making them chicken soup yesterday to help them feel better I said “nah — just have chocolate for lunch — I’m busy recording”?
Short term they’d feel great about having chocolate.
Long term they’d realise that in fact I was diminishing their importance in my life.
As Always, It’s a Little from Lever A, and a Little from Lever B
Focus is important. Flexibility is important.
But the most important of all, is finding the right balance between the two.
For example — I found time to right this post. So that’s nice, isn’t it :-)
How do you do it? Got any tips for us?
Originally published at Chris Hargreaves.
