A few years ago, an entrepreneur named Peter Shankman signed a book contract. This wasn’t just any book contract… it was one with a TWO WEEK DEADLINE.
He had just 14 days to complete a beast of a manuscript.
So he did something very unconventional. He booked a $4,000 business class, round trip flight to Tokyo.
On the way there, he wrote. When he got to Japan, he got off the plane, stretched his legs, and drank an espresso. Then, he turned right back around and boarded his returning flight back home. And he wrote.
Start to finish, his entire trip lasted less than 30 hours.
Do you know what happened? He COMPLETED his manuscript.
It’s unbelievable how much work you can get done when you don’t have interruptions or distractions.
Your ability to focus is EVERYTHING.
For me, my ability to focus actually depends more on what I’m NOT doing, than what I’m doing.
When I’m focused, I’m NOT…
- Randomly checking Facebook
- Refreshing my email
- Getting text notifications
- Picking up the phone
- Surfing the internet
- Doing laundry, getting the mail, rearranging my closet
- And the list goes on and on and on….
When I sit down without distraction, I get my stuff DONE.
When I don’t shut down the world around me, I don’t. It’s as simple as that.
Distractions are endless. No one is going to stop them FOR you.
Are you moving yourself and business forward at the pace you’d like to?
If not, ask yourself what you need to DO differently to make it happen.
- Are you blocking off your “focus time”?
- Do you have a clear plan of what EXACTLY you need to get done during this time? (the highest and best use of your time)
- Are you holding yourself ACCOUNTABLE and shutting down any distractions?
- Do you know how to get into the right mental state so that you can truly focus?
You’re the only one who can do it.
And trust me, I’m not writing this from my high horse. It’s something I’m always working on improving and getting better at.
I know my strengths and challenges. I’ve been brutally honest with myself.
If you need a great resource to help you go “deeper” and get more focused, pick up the book Deep Work by Cal Newport. The ONE Thing by Gary Keller is also one of my favorites.
They are both quick reads with more than a few golden nuggets.
Do whatever it takes to get there.
Your dreams don’t have time to wait, but your Facebook newsfeed does.
Make it a productive day,
Alicia
