STAYING FOCUSED TO GET MORE THINGS DONE
We are today in the age of KNOWLEDGE. Most of you have become knowledge workers. The knowledge worker needs tremendous FOCUS. This ability to focus means that you can concentrate your physical, mental, intellectual resources on the most important task at hand without getting distracted and this requires SELF-DISCIPLINE. Self-discipline means you do what is beneficial not what is pleasurable. You are focused not on gratification, not on pleasure, but on what is beneficial and what is productive. How successful people get more things done.
What is the importance of FOCUS? Look, the sunlight is falling all over the planet earth. It doesn’t make such a big impact. But when you focus it through the magnifying glass, it burns the paper below. That is the power of FOCUS. Water vapour is evaporating from the lakes, the ponds, the rivers and the seas. That same water vapour, when it is focused in the electric engine’s piston, and made to fire in a proper manner, it develops so such of power, the steam engine that it pulls tens of thousands of tons of boggies and wagons behind it. That is the power of focus. So, this focus is required for success because there are so many distractions.
Warren Buffet was asked, what is the secret of your success? He said, “My ability to FOCUS, because when I say one ‘yes’, YES to this enterprise, this investment, I have to say 1000 ‘NOs’. 1000 people are bringing their propositions. In order to make ‘one yes’ succeed, I have to say 1000 ‘NOs’.
Steve Jobs said, “Apple is as proud of the things we don’t do as we are of the things we do because if we went into 10,000 products, we would not have had superior products anywhere”.
In the same way there are so many demands on your time. There are things that are of low value, but high stimulation, surfing the web, social media and there are things that are of high value, but low stimulation like productive and deep thoughtful work. So, there is always the scope for distraction. You are writing your memo, and the distraction is just 1 click of a mouse away. The mind says that this is so boring, can I just distract myself? So, if you can learn the quality of FOCUS, you can increase your productivity because there is a Pareto’s principle. Many of you have heard the Pareto’s principle. It’s an essential part of managerial coaching. Pareto’s law states that 20% of the people of the country pay 80% of the taxes. And 80% of the people only pay 20% of the national tax. In any organization 20% of the people are responsible for 80% of the effective work. And 80% of the people are responsible for 20% of the effective work. In a consumer situation, any organization’s 80% revenues come from 20% of the customers. And 20% of the revenue comes from 80% of the customers and so on. So, in this manner, and your activities through the day are also distributed like that. 80% of your activities result in only 20% of value. And 20% of your activities result in 80% of your value.
Everybody has got 24 hours a day. Those who are effective are experts in time management. It’s not that they have 25 or 28 hours. They can immediately see this is the most important work I need to focus upon. So, others say, ok, I had 10 works, I have done 9 of them, one I didn’t do. But that one was the most important. If you had done that and left out the other nine it wouldn’t make a difference. So, this ability to focus means that you can concentrate your physical, mental, intellectual resources on the most important task at hand without getting distracted. And this requires self-discipline. What does self-discipline mean? Self-discipline means you do what is beneficial not what is pleasurable. In other words, you are focused not on gratification, not on pleasure, but on what is beneficial, what is productive. That ability to restrain yourself is self-discipline. Self-discipline is one of the most powerful virtues, where you are not running after gratificatory pleasure. You are willing to embrace even pain, if you know this pain will lift you up.
See, take a look at what happens to children. The child who runs after pleasure rejects knowledge. Why study? Video games give more pleasure. The seeker of knowledge rejects immediate gratification. So, the same principle holds all through life. Self-discipline- the thing that is beneficial even though it doesn’t have pleasure, even though it is painful, are you willing to do it? That is the discipline.
There was an American athlete in the 1980s. Some of you may be remembering his name, Edwin Moses. So, Edwin Moses was an astonishing track and field athlete. He had the world record of winning 122 events at a stretch. He was a 400-meter hurdler. Edwin Moses, he entered the hall of fame of different places etc. He was asked what is the secret of your success? He gave a very interesting answer. His answer was, I have a greater ability to tolerate pain than the others. Why? Because athletes are always facing pain. The body says no, and they are forcing them beyond the limits of their pain. So, how much pain you can tolerate, to that extent you can stretch yourself. If you say no pain, then no gain. You stay in your comfort zone. Edwin Moses said, “I have a greater ability to tolerate pain than the others.” He has made his mindset such. He has imposed that self-discipline upon himself. Self-discipline is so necessary in life.
It is the 1st lesson taught by the mama giraffe to the baby giraffe. In the African savannah when the mama giraffe gives birth, it doesn’t sit down and release the baby from its womb. With its long legs standing tall, it releases the baby from a height of 12 feet. So that little infant giraffe falls to the ground with a thud. How cruel! You will say this mama is a terrible mother And, then what happens? That baby giraffe is shocked by the pain, and it tries to get up, it totters up. The moment it gains balance and is standing, the mother comes and kicks it and drops it to the ground again! How harsh and inconsiderate! But this is the love of the mother. The mother is teaching the baby, it might be painful, but you need to do it. You will need to get up because it’s a few minutes and the lions will be here. Your only chance of survival is to tolerate the pain.
God has always kept these two options. Now choose. Do you want that happiness that is like nectar now, but will become like poison later on, or do you have the good intellect to choose that which is like poison now, but will become like nectar later on? That choice you can make, if you enhance your ability for self-discipline, self-control.
Why do you want to be self-disciplined?
A. To achieve the goal of your life
B. To be happy in life
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