Focus

When I started my blogging life my first five articles were about focus. There is a bit more that I would like to say about this topic, especially for those of us in the people/management business. This is for managing our businesses and our personal lives.

One of my favorite books is The Winds of War by Herman Wouk. In this book, Mr. Wouk recounts a scene in which General E. J. Tillet, military author and one of the Commanding Generals for England during WWII, is speaking to the main character named Pug Henry. Tillet, in referring to Herman Goring, said this about Goring.

“He’s wasted a whole bloody month bombing harbors and pottering about after convoys. He’s only got till September the fifteenth. His mission is mastery of the air, not blockade. Define your mission! Define your mission and stick to it!”

I love that line. And it has so many applications for all of us, regardless of our job, our dreams, our families, our ethnicity or our bank account.

Define Your Mission

and Stick to It!”

I am a huge fan of Think and Grow Rich, the Napoleon Hill classic that many successful individuals have made their life-time study book. In it Mr. Hill clearly lays out this very philosophy. He refers to this concept as “your great desire”, “your burning desire” and other such references. Every night as a part of my nightly reading I review my own goals, dreams and desires as Mr. Hill suggests. Here is his formula that we might consider.

1 Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say I want plenty of money. Be definite as to the amount you desire.


2 Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. There is no such reality as “something for nothing”.


3 Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.


4 Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.


5 Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intent to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.


6 Read your written statement aloud twice daily, once just before retiring at night and once after arising in the morning. AS YOU READ, SEE, FEEL AND BELIEVE YOURSELF ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF THE MONEY.

On the May 2011 Success Magazine CD disc, Daren Hardy interviews Mari Smith, a social media specialist. Mari gave us this tip, which is an acrostic for the word F-O-C-U-S.

F Follow

O One

C Course

U Until

S Successful


What a great summation for our thought for today. It really does all come back down to FOCUS doesn’t it?

Remember,

DEFINE YOUR MISSION AND STICK TO IT!