If I had a theme song for 2022 it would be titled ‘FOCUS’. Lyrics would include ….
- Minimizing distractions
- Getting traction
- Doing fewer things better
- Empowering more
- Delegating more often
- Ruthlessly prioritizing
(insert catchy melody here)
There will always be an endless list of things we can give our time and attention to. The question, then, is which of those things actually deserve it.
In Nir Eyal’s book ‘Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life‘, he perfectly describes the connection between traction and distraction, linking the two together with the word ‘action’.
- Distraction= Actions that move us away from what we really want.
- Traction= Actions that move us toward what we really want.
Simple. Not easy.
I’m asking myself this question often: Is this [task, issue, opportunity, etc] moving me toward or away from what I really want? Will it give me traction or is it a distraction?
“Ensuring focus requires taking things off our plates rather than putting more on.”
-Frank Slootman, CEO at Snowflake
I recently read ‘Amp It Up’ by Frank Slootman. He’s had an incredible track record taking software companies to extraordinary heights. His current company, Snowflake, has a market cap over $75 billion dollars and is growing revenue at 104% year-over-year. He credits a great deal of his success, as well as the companies he leads, to ruthless prioritization and focus. I’m taking that page from his playbook. Better yet… I’m ripping the page out and sticking it to my computer screen.
Keep things simple.
As an aspiring Stoic, I often look to writings from Marcus Aurelius. This passage on clarity lends itself greatly to the pursuit of great focus and clarity on the things that matter most.
“At every moment keep a sturdy mind on the task at hand, as a Roman and human being, doing it with strict and simple dignity, affection, freedom, and justice – giving yourself a break from all other considerations. You can do this if you approach each task as if it is your last, giving up every distraction, emotional subversion of reason, and all drama, vanity, and complaint over your fair share. You can see how mastery over a few things makes it possible to live an abundant and devout life – for, if you keep watch over these things, the gods won’t ask for more.”
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 2.5
2022 is the year of Focus.
Develop extreme clarity. Minimize distraction. Make traction. Focus.
