Paul Lemberg

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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…

Comments

  1. 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

  3. 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

    • 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.

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  4. 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 🙁

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    • 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

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  5. 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

  6. 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

    • 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

    • 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

    • 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.

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    • 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

  11. 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

    • 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.

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  13. 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

    • 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

  14. 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

    • Jim – great list. Did you already forget the rest? I’m worried about #5 — can’t see the upside! Give it away.

      Reply

  18. great advice, something I will try. I’m always thinking of those bottom feeder ideas! They are great ideas, just not high priority!

    Reply

    • 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

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