If you chase two rabbits….you will not catch either one ‘ Russian proverb
At a dinner hosted by William H Gates, father of same Microsoft founder Bill Gates , for a number of hand-picked business champions, he asked them to write down on a piece of paper one word which they deemed was ‘the one thing’ that determined their success and significance in business and life .
Two guests wrote the same word :
FOCUS
They were his own son Bill Gates and Warren Buffet – the two richest people in the world today.
The most important thing I have learnt in life is to focus my energy on what is important in life.– Bill Gates
An equally insightful and inspirational question is:
What’s the secret to life?
Personally, I’m a fan of Gary Keller’s version of ‘The Secret to Life’, which he reveals in his book ‘The One Thing’: the surprisingly simple truth behind extraordinary results.
He believes ‘The One Thing’, is the best approach to getting what one really wants in life. In order to get more, one must have less on one’s plate. Focus, Focus and then more Focus.
Success begets success when one narrows one’s concentration to one thing.
‘The One Thing .Just one thing .You stick to that and everything else doesn’t mean shi*t.
Jack Palance playing the gritty cowboy ‘Curly’ in the movie City Slickers
Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers: The Story of Success believes that the most important determinant of success is the 10 000- Hour rule. He reckons if anyone dedicated that much time to something, they would make a success of it.
Talent and opportunities are abundant, but perseverance and hard work are what count in the end.
Human Greatness, defined as’ Sustained Success and Significance’, is commonly determined and driven by how narrow one can make one’s focus. Doing too many things , both personally and professionally, is the sure fire fastest way to human implosion – the very opposite of human greatness.
Less is often more in the lives of the great champions.
* For more insight, innovation and inspiration please do visit www.thegameplan.co.za., where you can request a copy of Rob’s free eBook: The Game Plan: What the Great Champions know – but coaches seldom teach.
