The Genius of Focus

Why the ability to focus is the best predictor of personal success

Increasingly, I believe focus is the key ingredient of accomplishment. I’ve found that one of the most reliable predictors for me completing a project or finishing whatever it is I want to do in life is my ability to focus.

I first realized this early in life when I was undertaking various self-education efforts. I don’t buy in too much to innate intelligence as the determining factor for whether someone can learn well. I’ve just seen too many instances of someone with what appeared to be average intelligence and skills excel far beyond others who supposedly had much more of both. I believe focus makes the difference.

Here is where I yet again thank my father for instilling in me any modicum of focus ability I possess. He was one of the most focused people I’ve ever known. If I come even somewhat close to his level of focus, I feel I’ve succeeded.

Someone who can truly focus on something is going to do better than someone who is constantly distracted or multitasking.

Alan H. Cohen’s advice in his book Why Your Life Sucks and What You Can Do About It is one of the smartest bits of wisdom I’ve ever read in a self-improvement book. By the way, this is one of my favorite self-help books because it feels so grounded in reality and not a lot of…