Deciding what to focus on might just be more important than actually doing the work
Do you know what your focus should be?
Hi friends,
I hope your summer feels more like a “summer” than it did in 2020. My family probably still wears masks a little more than most, but it’s nice to be getting out and experiencing the world again!
And getting to go on beach trips — where I get to make my famous watermelon shark — was just what the doctor ordered.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about where I focus my time. Perhaps this is due to things getting a bit more back to normal, because let’s face it, life has been pretty different for all of us since March 2020.
Habits and routines have changed. Our outlook on what work is (and isn’t) has been altered, probably forever. And during turbulent times, it is critically important to remember what you should be focused on.
Deciding what to focus on might just be more important than actually doing the work
Let’s rewind (and get real) for a minute.
It took me about 15 years of working to realize that I was focused on the wrong things. As I built my first business (Spunlogic) and then the second (Engauge) — eventually selling both — I found that what I was chasing more than anything else was other people’s nodding approval that I was “successful”.
And no matter how many business accomplishments I racked up, or awards I won, or boards I joined, I could never meet the expectations (that I completely made up in my own mind) that everyone else had of me.
It was only after going through Leadership Atlanta (you can read more about that here) that I landed on my personal Purpose to have an outsized, positive impact on the world.
For the last ten years, that singular phrase - to have an outsized, positive impact on the world - has been my life’s focus. It has pushed me to build Dragon Army as a purpose-driven digital agency. It has led me to create three nonprofits over the last six years: 48in48, Ripples of Hope, and The A Pledge. It has driven me to write two leadership books (with the 3rd on the way in September), and it most certainly has impacted what (and how much) I read.
The point
Knowing what to focus on has changed everything in my life. Not only do I know where I’m headed and what the objective is, but I also feel so much more fulfilled when I execute against the plan.
Life is hard enough as it is. But it’s even harder when you’re working toward goals that you can’t define. Take some time this summer and figure out what your focus should be. (I find sitting at the beach looking at the waves to be a great time to be contemplative about “life”.)
Start big if you can, and then work your way back until you start to see what next week, or even tomorrow, should look like for you. I promise it will be a worthwhile exercise, because you’re working too hard not to feel fulfilled and purposeful with your life.
I hope you’re happy,
Jeff
Recent podcasts
I produce a podcast called, Begin the Begin. I hope you'll consider subscribing.
What makes a great founder and leader? (with David Cummings): Spotify + Apple + Other
Achieving “greatness” through service (with Jay Jackson, CEO of RYSE)
Why the world needs The Lola (with Eileen Lee): Spotify + Apple + Other
The Art of Trouble Making with Teresa Baker, founder of the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge and the African American Nature & Parks Experience: Spotify + Apple + Other
Until There Are Nine (with founder Bhavana Smith): Spotify + Apple + Other