Word of the Year – Focus

Word of the Year: 2018

Word of the Year: 2018

Focus

Finding Opportunities by Creating Uninterrupted Strategy Sessions

— Bruce Lee

FOCUSfo·​cus | \ ˈfō-kəs \ – A state or condition permitting clear perception or understanding

The ability to focus can make or break your success in life. In fact, scientists consider the ability to establish mental focus as an important predictor of a person’s future success

FINDING/ ˈfīndiNG / –  A conclusion reached as a result of an inquiry, investigation, or trial.
There are thousands of people that do not know how to find the answers to some of the simplest questions. How do I fix this? What should I do? In order to change your perspective or take a different approach, you must take some time for yourself to think. No devices, no interruptions… just being alone with your thoughts to open up the opportunity for discovery.

OPPORTUNITIES / op-er-too-ni-tee-s / –  A situation or condition favorable for the attainment of a goal.
Opportunities are often discovered through hard work. Some people do not believe in luck and others might say that people that work harder get luckier. I tend to agree that luck will find those through opportunities that are presented during the most challenging of times.

CREATING – / kree-eyt-ing /Bring (something) into existence.
When the pain finally gets to the point where it becomes too much, human beings, with their innate ability to alleviate pain, will create an environment to alleviate this pain. Much in the same way that the Homo erectus about 400,000 years ago is thought to have created fire to alleviate the pain of cold and lack of visibility at night, we continue to create meaningful systems and processes to improve our lives. When we collaborate and create products and services together, our lives, both personal and professional seem to improve dramatically.

UNINTERRUPTED  / un-in-tuh-ruhpt-ed; /Continuing in time or space without interruption
Cal Newport wrote an amazing book titled “Deep Work – Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World”. In this book, Cal writes how important it is to regularly schedule periods of time that are completely uninterrupted with other people, technology, or other distractions. Dare to be different… dare to be uninterrupted.

STRATEGY/ strat-i-jee / – The art of devising or employing plans or stratagems toward a goal.
Strategy is one of the most important aspects of any business. I would argue that there is no other single element of a business, other than company culture, that should come before it. Strategy forces us to open our minds up to various processes so that we can think about potential outcomes. Then, and only then, we are able to make educated decisions to reach our desired goals and objectives.