How to Become a Focused Thinker

By John C Maxwell
 
In his book Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It, marketing consultant Al Ries gives a tremendous illustration:

The sun is a powerful source of energy.  Every hour the sun washes the earth with billions of kilowatts of energy.  Yet with a hat and some sun-screen, you can bathe in the light of the sun for hours at a time with few ill effects.

 A laser is a weak source of energy.  A laser takes a few watts of energy and focuses them in a coherent stream of light.  But with a laser you can drill a hole in a diamond or wipe out a cancer.

Focus can bring energy and power to almost anything, whether it’s physical or mental.  If you’re learning how to pitch a baseball and you want to develop a good curve ball, then focused thinking while practicing will improve your technique. If you need to refine the manufacturing process of your product, focused thinking will help you develop the best method.  If you want to solve a difficult mathematics problem, sustaining focused thinking helps you break through to the solution.  That’s why philosopher Bertrand Russell asserted, “To be able to concentrate for a considerable time is essential to difficult achievement.”  The greater the difficulty of a problem or issue, the more focused thinking time will be necessary to solve it.

Does every area of your life deserve dedicated, focused thinking time? Of course, the answer is no. Be selective, not exhaustive, in your focused thinking. And once you have a handle on what you should think about, you must decide how to better focus on it. Here are five suggestions to help you with the process:

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