Focus By Doing Less Supposedly Warren Buffet gave his pilot the advice I’m going to give you. Now I don’t know whether Buffet really told this to the pilot, but if he didn’t he should have. Either way, it’s solid advice. The things you choose to focus on obviously have loads to do with what you achieve, but the things you choose not to focus on? Those things make focus possible. Watch this 4-minute, 16-second video for a simple exercise to dramatically increase your focus and your results. To your outrageous success. Paul P.S., take a minute and tell me what you think in the comments. Does this work for you? What are some of the things you’re going to avoid like the plague? Watch it now… 35 Responses garrett August 8, 2013 The favorite advice i heard come from warren buffet is that it is easier make money as a small to medium player in a super profitable market (finance, real estate,etc) than being a large player in a less profitable market. I’m learning that the hard way with my current business. It’s a good business, but the market is very small. Reply Ualani Teale December 28, 2012 This is awesome. Wish I could have seen this years ago! Reply pl January 17, 2013 Crank the time machine. But since the “point of real power” is always now, this is a great time to put this info to use. Reply Pete May 21, 2011 pl Please clarify…when you say list “top things to be do or have” do you mean dreams or tasks? The previous comments discuss these “things” as tasks/action items/ to-dos. However, my first impression was that you were talking about dreams (especially since you mention “game plan” which comes after dreams and before tasks, yes?) In other words, is this exercise designed to clarify and focus your top 5 long term dreams or top 5 daily tasks? Reply admin May 21, 2011 Pete – It depends on where you are relative to your life/business/etc., but I’d say more like dreams/projects rather than tasks as such. My list is all over the board, but the more important things are dreams/goals/projects. The exercise will work on any level and it works on iterated levels. So first do it at what you’re calling the “dream” level. Then if it still matters, do it again at the ‘task’ level. Reply Dave May 20, 2011 Paul, long time listener, first time caller. Video looks real interesting but will have to wait until I get to my computer — video doesn’t work on my iPhone 🙁 Reply pl May 21, 2011 Yeah, Steve Jobs and Apple just aren’t paying attentino to the market. Pretty weird marketing to expect everyone else to change on your behalf. It creates a certain cache, plus lots of discontent. On the other hand, it’ll be worth waiting for Reply aden wilde May 19, 2011 hey paul, thank you for making the effort to put this video out!! i’m currently going through a major transition in my life and i’ve been feeling quite overwhelmed by all of the “to-do’s.” this exercise is already making a HUGE difference.. i was compelled to take action yesterday immediately after watching your video: listed 45 items that have been weighing on my mind (complete braindump), and narrowed it down to 3. felt pretty good just creating the list. less than 24 hours later, i’ve started and nearly completed one big essential task which has been haunting me and draining my energy for the last 2 years – should be done tomorrow 🙂 very powerful! i’m definitely adopting this exercise as a new habit to keep super focused, thanks again!! aden Reply pl May 19, 2011 Aden — I’m inspired. Thanks for sharing that and keep it up. –pl Reply Angelo May 19, 2011 I am not going to lie to you… This is NOT the first time I am hearing this! But your words and continuous focus on FOCUS made me make this exercise my #1 priority for the weekend. Thank you Paul!! Reply pl May 19, 2011 Angelo, of course it’s not the first time. But if it gets through to the point of decision, then that’s the first time for that! –pl Reply Susanna Constantine May 19, 2011 Great advice Paul. The thing is I have a 100 things on my to do list 🙂 Reply pl May 19, 2011 Susan, 100 things is perfect. It means the impact will be THAT MUCH LARGER when you give them up! Of course, so many of them are important, even critical, and yet… And yet… You still have to focus on the stuff to which you are really committed if you’re ever to get where you wish to go. pl Reply Ron May 18, 2011 Vegas? Wish i was their too. I knew someone who worked at Computer Associates, what horror stories i have heard. Thanks Again for the Push! Reply pl May 19, 2011 That’s what it’s like when you’re bottom feeders. Lot’s of horror! Reply Anne May 18, 2011 Sounds good Paul – until you have to cook supper, clean the house, mow the lawn (oops, I guess you could hire those out???) keep up with existing clients would be the one thing I could not hire out. How do you integrate the existing business with the creation of the new products/services? Or does the old business have to be one of the top 5 and I drop off one of the other (or two other) for the new expansion? Thanks for making this a priority and filming in Vegas! Reply pl May 18, 2011 So Anne, I’ve got no judgement about what you “should” and “should not” do. BUT… If you were asking, I’d say for sure hire out mowing the lawn and cleaning the house. Maintain your existing business — gotta keep that one. Me? I manage how I schedule time with my private clients and keep a few whole days free for product creation. Reply Joe May 18, 2011 I have terrific focus, just lousy on priorities. Great stuff Paul! Reply pl May 18, 2011 Hey Joe (one of my favorite all-time Jimi Hendrix songs, btw) — you’ve got more than half of the issue licked. Rock on… Reply stephen May 18, 2011 thank you for this perspective. It amazes me how quickly i created this list, but this is what i need to do. 1. get financing/strategic partnerships for VarVee 2. make health (work outs, etc.) a higher priority 3. Spend time with wife and family – celebrate our anniversary 4. Make time for friends, and pay it forward with them 5. Generate revenue while items #1 and 2 are developing thanks for the crystallization Reply pl May 18, 2011 Stephen – great list. Here’s the thing I see over and again. WE ALL KNOW. We all know what THE FIVE are. BUT… I say make the list of 25, or 50, or 100, so that when you’re done, you know what you’re NOT going to focus on. Reply Tim May 18, 2011 Thank you Paul! I needed that. Reply pl May 18, 2011 Tim, you’re welcome. Reply Greg Vinson May 18, 2011 Great advice as usual. This is one of the hardest things for me to do, but not doing it is clearly holding me back. For me, the only way I can imagine giving up those 20 other things is making this deal with myself: I get to put them on a list with the understanding that once I have reached my goals around the current priorities, I get to revisit them for consideration with regard to the next period (think of it like a nicotine patch, or methadone to kick heroin). Anyway, thanks for the push! Reply pl May 18, 2011 Greg – the list of five should be satisfying. Don’t put off your life until something else happens. Keep a limit on number of things so that you can apply significant force at the point of impact. Extra bonus : make a list, or keep track of, the things you do unconsciously that suck energy away from the things you say matter. Reply Jim May 18, 2011 5 Top Priorities 1. Exercise-Paddleball, Dog walking 2. Family-Wife and kids and pets 3. Money-Trading, Tutoring, Investing, Getting and doing Part time-Jobs 4. Survival preparation-shopping, generators 5. E-mail/bills Reply pl May 18, 2011 Jim – great list. Did you already forget the rest? I’m worried about #5 — can’t see the upside! Give it away. Reply Luke Beaulac May 18, 2011 “Forget about the other stuff” -> Great tip! Thanks for that Paul! Reply pl May 18, 2011 Luke – isn’t that easy? (HAH!) Reply Paul May 18, 2011 Thanks Paul great advice, don’t water down your efforts………must be in the name 🙂 Reply pl May 18, 2011 Hey Paul – that took me a minute… Reply frank May 18, 2011 That was Gr8….. I’m going to take some massive action on that Thanks Reply pl May 18, 2011 Go for it, Frank. And don’t waste any time typing. Reply Brian May 18, 2011 great advice, something I will try. I’m always thinking of those bottom feeder ideas! They are great ideas, just not high priority! Reply pl May 18, 2011 Brian – I like it: “bottom feeder ideas.” You know, those can work – are you familiar with Computer Associates? ($4.4B in 2010, all bottom feeding!) Reply Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
garrett August 8, 2013 The favorite advice i heard come from warren buffet is that it is easier make money as a small to medium player in a super profitable market (finance, real estate,etc) than being a large player in a less profitable market. I’m learning that the hard way with my current business. It’s a good business, but the market is very small. Reply
pl January 17, 2013 Crank the time machine. But since the “point of real power” is always now, this is a great time to put this info to use. Reply
Pete May 21, 2011 pl Please clarify…when you say list “top things to be do or have” do you mean dreams or tasks? The previous comments discuss these “things” as tasks/action items/ to-dos. However, my first impression was that you were talking about dreams (especially since you mention “game plan” which comes after dreams and before tasks, yes?) In other words, is this exercise designed to clarify and focus your top 5 long term dreams or top 5 daily tasks? Reply
admin May 21, 2011 Pete – It depends on where you are relative to your life/business/etc., but I’d say more like dreams/projects rather than tasks as such. My list is all over the board, but the more important things are dreams/goals/projects. The exercise will work on any level and it works on iterated levels. So first do it at what you’re calling the “dream” level. Then if it still matters, do it again at the ‘task’ level. Reply
Dave May 20, 2011 Paul, long time listener, first time caller. Video looks real interesting but will have to wait until I get to my computer — video doesn’t work on my iPhone 🙁 Reply
pl May 21, 2011 Yeah, Steve Jobs and Apple just aren’t paying attentino to the market. Pretty weird marketing to expect everyone else to change on your behalf. It creates a certain cache, plus lots of discontent. On the other hand, it’ll be worth waiting for Reply
aden wilde May 19, 2011 hey paul, thank you for making the effort to put this video out!! i’m currently going through a major transition in my life and i’ve been feeling quite overwhelmed by all of the “to-do’s.” this exercise is already making a HUGE difference.. i was compelled to take action yesterday immediately after watching your video: listed 45 items that have been weighing on my mind (complete braindump), and narrowed it down to 3. felt pretty good just creating the list. less than 24 hours later, i’ve started and nearly completed one big essential task which has been haunting me and draining my energy for the last 2 years – should be done tomorrow 🙂 very powerful! i’m definitely adopting this exercise as a new habit to keep super focused, thanks again!! aden Reply
Angelo May 19, 2011 I am not going to lie to you… This is NOT the first time I am hearing this! But your words and continuous focus on FOCUS made me make this exercise my #1 priority for the weekend. Thank you Paul!! Reply
pl May 19, 2011 Angelo, of course it’s not the first time. But if it gets through to the point of decision, then that’s the first time for that! –pl Reply
Susanna Constantine May 19, 2011 Great advice Paul. The thing is I have a 100 things on my to do list 🙂 Reply
pl May 19, 2011 Susan, 100 things is perfect. It means the impact will be THAT MUCH LARGER when you give them up! Of course, so many of them are important, even critical, and yet… And yet… You still have to focus on the stuff to which you are really committed if you’re ever to get where you wish to go. pl Reply
Ron May 18, 2011 Vegas? Wish i was their too. I knew someone who worked at Computer Associates, what horror stories i have heard. Thanks Again for the Push! Reply
Anne May 18, 2011 Sounds good Paul – until you have to cook supper, clean the house, mow the lawn (oops, I guess you could hire those out???) keep up with existing clients would be the one thing I could not hire out. How do you integrate the existing business with the creation of the new products/services? Or does the old business have to be one of the top 5 and I drop off one of the other (or two other) for the new expansion? Thanks for making this a priority and filming in Vegas! Reply
pl May 18, 2011 So Anne, I’ve got no judgement about what you “should” and “should not” do. BUT… If you were asking, I’d say for sure hire out mowing the lawn and cleaning the house. Maintain your existing business — gotta keep that one. Me? I manage how I schedule time with my private clients and keep a few whole days free for product creation. Reply
pl May 18, 2011 Hey Joe (one of my favorite all-time Jimi Hendrix songs, btw) — you’ve got more than half of the issue licked. Rock on… Reply
stephen May 18, 2011 thank you for this perspective. It amazes me how quickly i created this list, but this is what i need to do. 1. get financing/strategic partnerships for VarVee 2. make health (work outs, etc.) a higher priority 3. Spend time with wife and family – celebrate our anniversary 4. Make time for friends, and pay it forward with them 5. Generate revenue while items #1 and 2 are developing thanks for the crystallization Reply
pl May 18, 2011 Stephen – great list. Here’s the thing I see over and again. WE ALL KNOW. We all know what THE FIVE are. BUT… I say make the list of 25, or 50, or 100, so that when you’re done, you know what you’re NOT going to focus on. Reply
Greg Vinson May 18, 2011 Great advice as usual. This is one of the hardest things for me to do, but not doing it is clearly holding me back. For me, the only way I can imagine giving up those 20 other things is making this deal with myself: I get to put them on a list with the understanding that once I have reached my goals around the current priorities, I get to revisit them for consideration with regard to the next period (think of it like a nicotine patch, or methadone to kick heroin). Anyway, thanks for the push! Reply
pl May 18, 2011 Greg – the list of five should be satisfying. Don’t put off your life until something else happens. Keep a limit on number of things so that you can apply significant force at the point of impact. Extra bonus : make a list, or keep track of, the things you do unconsciously that suck energy away from the things you say matter. Reply
Jim May 18, 2011 5 Top Priorities 1. Exercise-Paddleball, Dog walking 2. Family-Wife and kids and pets 3. Money-Trading, Tutoring, Investing, Getting and doing Part time-Jobs 4. Survival preparation-shopping, generators 5. E-mail/bills Reply
pl May 18, 2011 Jim – great list. Did you already forget the rest? I’m worried about #5 — can’t see the upside! Give it away. Reply
Paul May 18, 2011 Thanks Paul great advice, don’t water down your efforts………must be in the name 🙂 Reply
Brian May 18, 2011 great advice, something I will try. I’m always thinking of those bottom feeder ideas! They are great ideas, just not high priority! Reply
pl May 18, 2011 Brian – I like it: “bottom feeder ideas.” You know, those can work – are you familiar with Computer Associates? ($4.4B in 2010, all bottom feeding!) Reply
