I love the Olympics. I relish watching people display their incredible talent which has taken years of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication to achieve. (Especially while so young). In a world full of distractions, social media, and a focus on fun and outer beauty I find these individuals a breath of fresh air. Like going to the zoo and actually seeing the lions come out of their habitat and run around and wrestle with each other; it so rarely happens. You can’t be anything but amazed watching human potential, possibilities, and performance at the highest level. There is much we can learn from these individuals.
One of the key findings of high performers is their ability to focus. People constantly share with me how they want to be promoted, progress in their careers, create a strong branding, and increase their value and wealth. “FOCUS”, I tell them. Quit squandering the day away. I realize we are not in Siberia and that our daily life and work surround us with distractions. People want to talk, friends want to lunch, family needs things, we have important television shows to binge-watch and we need to rest from work. We refuse to focus on what is important, what will help us get ahead, and how we can create excellence in our work by focusing as little as two or three hours a day. Instead, we casually give our day away to the needs of the moment and create mediocre talent and casual lives. Many of the Olympic athletes we have watched the past two weeks practice 5-7 hours a day. Think of the progression we could make and the excellent work we could create if we focused for half that time. We would do great things at your jobs and in our lives.
Looking back at individuals I have interviewed over the years, those that have been most successful are the ones who are fiercely focused, determined in specific areas, and don’t get distracted by the minutia of life. Everything seems so important in the moment; phone calls, social media, emails try to convince you to respond this very moment! But they aren’t. You are being tested and distracted from becoming great. Focus, disconnect, and work toward an important goal. This is your #1 most important challenge right now. If you master focus, you will learn how to control your world. If you don’t, it will continue to control you. (Reference from Derek Sivers) Let me know how it goes
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