Written by 
Think of the last time you went to the circus. Remember the lion tamer?
Every courageous lion tamer uses three tools to control his fierce companions prowling around the cage: a whip, a stool, and a handful of tasty snacks.
Which of these tools is most valuable to the tamer?
When the lion tamer lifts the stool to face his snarling friends, the lions see the four stool legs and cannot focus on a particular leg. As a result, they stand frozen. Unfortunately, the same can happen to us when we try to focus on too many things—we freeze or we might focus on the wrong things. Either option will take the roar out of our success.
Here are five tips from 107 Ways to Stick to It that highly successful people have used to sharpen their focus:
#1 – Identify the “one thing”.
Never let anything less important take priority over it. Josh Billings advises, “Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there.”
#2 – Know when to say “No.”
Your time, energy and money are precious resources – if you spend them in one area, you cannot spend them in another area. Saying “Yes” to one thing means saying “No” to something else. Say “No” to anything that prevents you from focusing on what’s most important to you.
#3 – Keep it very simple.
Complexity is the enemy of focus. Simplicity keeps the line of sight to your goal clear and direct.
#4 – Life rewards action… so dive in and get to work! Future tasks usually appear larger than they really are. Being in the process provides clarity, diminishes the perceived effort required, and builds momentum toward your goal.
#5 – Worry wrecks your focus.
We all worry… the trick is to minimize the time between your first worried thought and your first action to attack it. Much of our worry is based on concerns in our minds, not reality. Mark Twain once said, “I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.”
For 102 more tips, check out 107 Ways to Stick to It.
