The Focus Dilemma

That’s one piece of advice I am sure you have been given many times by successful entrepreneurs and in many business books- stay focus.

I am saying it’s good or bad advice but allow me to elaborate a bit on that advice. Telling someone to focus is like telling someone to work hard. It’s a very vague advice and can potentially do more harm than good. Why is that so?

From the point of the recipient, the well-intended advice of working hard can be interpreted as unless you are willing to work your ass off, there’s no chance you will succeed. Unfortunately, you can be working hard your thus far but you might just not be achieving the results that you want.

Yet, there’s nothing wrong with working hard. Every successful entrepreneurs I personally know truly worked very hard, especially in the beginning phases of their ventures. To put things in context, by successful I mean the venture is making profits and the company’s culture is healthy with a team of great people working together to grow the company. However, the critical difference here is not just working hard but rather what are you working hard on?

You can work hard in ensuring every one in your company washes their hands after using the bathroom but that would hardly create any positive impact in your company’s bottom line.

Therein lies the most important piece of puzzle that you must figure out. You may have the talents, perseverance, discipline and even the passionate drive to succeed. But if you are working on the wrong stuffs, you will only be ‘rewarded’ with the results you don’t want.

Take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Slow down or even stop whatever you are doing just to gain clarity. You cannot see very clearly with all that noise that’s constantly seeking your attention 24/7. Re-calibrate your compass and regroup your soldiers.

Speed is important but speed in the wrong direction can sometimes be fatal.

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