Mastering Focus: How Rejecting the Good Leads to the Extraordinary

November, 2023

In the midst of life's relentless noise, I've come to understand a truth that is as simple as it is profound: focus is the cornerstone of great achievement. This is not a lesson I stumbled upon through idle contemplation, but one that was hammered into my consciousness by a man whose capacity for focus was unparalleled in my experience— Steve Jobs.

The concept of focus is not an aspiration or a fleeting resolution. It is not something you declare on a Monday morning as you sip your coffee, ready to take on the week. No, focus is a relentless questioning, a disciplined mantra that repeats, "Why are we talking about this? This is what we're working on." It's a filter that separates the essential from the superfluous, the signal from the noise.

You see, the true measure of focus is not found in the multitude of things you can say no to without a second thought. The real test is in the ability to reject something that excites you, that pulls at your very being, because it stands in the way of your true focus. It's a sacrifice, a painful one, that most are not willing to make.

I've pondered on this, reflected on the biographies of great minds, and I've seen a pattern. Whether it's Jony Ive or Peter Thiel, the principle holds true: focus is about dedicating your mental bandwidth to a singular task, to the exclusion of all else. It's about saying no to the myriad of "benevolent" ideas that float around you, self-generated or otherwise.

Some may argue that such intense focus is a form of egocentrism, a trait of the unkind. They may point to Jobs and say, "He was an a-hole." But to dismiss the power of focus as mere egotism is to miss the point entirely. It is not about the self; it's about the work, the creation, the pursuit of something greater than oneself.

In this era of distractions, where every gadget and gizmo vies for our attention, focus becomes a superpower. It's the ability to navigate through the cacophony of life and emerge with something of value, something that moves the needle, that makes a dent in the universe.

It's not easy, this practice of focus. It's a struggle, a daily battle against the seductive pull of the new and the now. But the rewards are monumental. With focus, you can achieve the extraordinary. You can move mountains.

So, I challenge you, as I challenge myself: What are you willing to say no to? What phenomenal idea will you reject today to stay true to your focus? Remember, it's not about the quantity of your no's, but the quality. The path to success is indeed paved with them, but only if they sting, only if they cost you something.

In the end, focus is not just about the work we do; it's about the life we lead. It's a principle that applies as much to our personal lives as it does to our professional ones. It's about finding what truly matters and giving it all we've got. That's the legacy of focus, a legacy that Steve Jobs understood and embodied. And it's a legacy that we, too, can aspire to if we're willing to make the hard choices, to say the painful no's, and to dedicate ourselves to the relentless pursuit of focus.