Bits of Wisdom Podcast #36

"You don't need more time because you already have all the time that you will ever get; you need more focus." Kevin KellyThis tiny bit of wisdom holds massive power, so tuck it away and refer back to it often. We cannot change the amount of time we have. Chance or fate has already determined all we will get. But we do have the ability to change our focus, and our focus seems to have the power to manipulate time. When Gates and Buffet were asked what the single most important factor in their success was, they both answered, focus. This is one of the few reminders I keep pinned up near my desk. It helps me rid myself of the unending distractions life fires at me.So how can we focus? The world, and marketers, and talking heads will tell you that you need more information and things in your life, but they’re wrong. They want you to enroll in their 17-week program to help you (insert false claim here). In reality, our ability to focus lies not in adding a new process or program or guru, but in subtraction. Begin ridding yourself of things that rob your focus. Stop watching the news, delete X (or Twitter or whatever it is), and for God’s sake don’t be the last one to cancel cable. You can also begin to get rid of physical things that weigh you down: that extra car that’s rusting away in the driveway, the jacket your grandma bought you that you’ve never worn because it’s canary yellow, the book your friend wrote that you have no interest in reading. They are all distractions, and believe it or not, they take away, ever so slightly, from your ability to focus, like a small thread in your sweater you believe you can pull out but ends up unraveling a full sleeve, leaving you with a one-armed muscle shirt. We drag these mental dumbbells around and wonder why we can’t get things done. But if we eliminate them, we’ll realize more and more freedom. Our ability to focus surfaces when we remove the trash crowding it out. The key to time is focus, so remember, You don't need more time because you already have all the time that you will ever get; you need more focus.Terry Weaver is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit terryweaver.substack.com/subscribe