Focus = Thinking + Execution
“Are you gonna bark all day little doggie?… or are you gonna bite?”
Starting something is hard, isn’t it?
And do you know why it’s so god damn difficult? I’ll tell you why, it’s because no one taught us how to focus on something.
“Focus” is a weird concept… it’s hard to explain and it’s probably harder to teach. We all know when we have it and when we don’t.
No wonder we don’t have “How to focus 101" in schools.
But still, we have to do something, right? We can’t start anything if we don’t put our energies in the right place.
That’s why focus is so important… because if you manage it correctly, you’ll be able to create something special. Something meaningful.
So, a couple of tips…
First, start to understand “focus” as a result instead of a element of concentration. Focus will be, as in math, the proper combination of other constants and variables.
Second, thinking and execution will be your key elements. But beware, both of them are powerful forces that demand too much attention and can lead to nowhere.
To control them you’ll need a catalyst better known as discipline. And how do you define discipline? By being conscious and objective about your final goal. That means if you keep a clear vision of what you want to achieve, you will know accurately when to think and when to execute.
Lastly, the revision process. Discipline will control your actions and it will produce several results, what we in everyday work call “milestones”. The sum of all results will be the project itself and if it serves its purpose well, that will be the quintessential proof of how focused you were.
In conclusion, a focused creative is someone who knows how to alternate between barking and biting… Actions that he’ll do several times until the project is finished and it’s goals fulfilled.
