Life seems to have become focused on how much more you can take on. How much more you can do. How much more you can acquire.
But all too often, we mistake complexity for progress.
Whereas complexity merely spreads us thin, dilutes our efforts, and leaves us nowhere further than before (just distributed between more places), progress is where we find ourselves moving forward toward some predefined goal.
If all we do is take on more and more projects, tasks, responsibilities, ad infinitum, then all we’ll do is face an increasingly insurmountable set of obstacles in our life. We’ll be doing more, but accomplishing less.
Businesses face this problem as much as people do in their own personal lives. Families, societies, organizations, and individuals alike must ask themselves if they’re trying to do too much.
But how do you discern distractions? How do you know if adding something to your “agenda” is helping you progress along your path, or merely taking your eyes off your goal?
I’ve found that dilemma is often overcome by one specific thing: clarity of purpose. The clearer your purpose, the more clearly you’ll see if an opportunity will propel you toward your destination or inhibit your progress by diluting your efforts.
If you truly want to be remarkable in something, then learn to focus your energies. Figure out what you want to do or who you want to become, and then measure all things against that.
As you focus your life, as you simplify, you’ll find that not only can you move faster, but you’ll enjoy the ride so much more.
-Rusty
