“Every day is different, and some days are better than others, but no matter how challenging the day, I get up and live it.”
― Muhammad Ali

It’s easy to say you want to stay focused. Doing it, well, that’s another matter.

Every day presents new distractions:

• I need to buy eggs.
• Ooh! Check out this website!
• What’s trending on Twitter?
• Did you see what happened in the stock market?
• 652 unread emails?!
• I can’t believe what the president did!
• Oh, good. My favorite newsletter.
• I wonder if Netflix has any new shows?
• What should I make for dinner?

So how can anybody stay focused?

Easy.

Work backward.

Let me explain.

Instead of planning what you need to do next, focus on the end state. Then figure out the step before the end, the one before that, and so on. Eventually, you’ll find what you should focus on today.

That step you just discovered is your next important task. Anything not on that path is a distraction.

Sure, you need to do necessary things, like buy eggs, but make sure you get the important tasks done each day. Do them first, if possible.

When you finish a task, reevaluate your path. Do you need to make any course corrections? Did completing this step reveal any new paths forward?

Stay focused, and you’ll progress 10X faster.

“Everyone wants some magic pill—some life hack—that eliminates the need to do the work. But that does not exist.”
― Jocko Willink

A doctor won’t magically make you well. You need to take ownership of your health.

A job won’t magically make you rich. You need to take ownership of your finances.

An alarm clock won’t magically get you out of bed earlier. You need to take ownership of your time.

A gym won’t magically make you strong. You need to take ownership of your fitness.

A to do list won’t magically make you more productive. You need to take ownership of your focus.

“Everything is negotiable. Whether or not the negotiation is easy is another thing.”
― Carrie Fisher

Deal-making 101:

• Remember: People care more about not losing than they do about winning.
• Detach from your emotions, but give the other side emotional wins.
• The issue is never price. It’s value, confidence, delivery, or whatever, but not price.
• Say “no” without using the word “no.”
• Zero-sum games require losers. In a deal, everybody wins.

“There is only what you do and what you don’t do.”
― Khaled Hosseini

Sometimes you hit a wall and don’t know what to do next. Sure, you have a long list of things to do, and they all seem valuable. Still, what’s going to help you get to the next level? What will produce the maximum impact? What should you prioritize first?

Perhaps it’s time to put together a “not gonna” list.

Deciding what you’re not going to do may jumpstart your progress and reset your focus.

Examples:

• I’m not gonna sleep late.
• I’m not gonna eat that donut.
• I’m not gonna skip my workout.
• I’m not gonna slouch.
• I’m not gonna check my phone every 5 minutes.
• I’m not gonna buy stuff I don’t need.
• I’m not gonna procrastinate.
• I’m not gonna let my team down.
• I’m not gonna multitask.
• I’m not gonna eat out.
• I’m not gonna slack off.
• I’m not gonna try to do everything.
• I’m not gonna avoid calling my parents.
• I’m not gonna ignore my kids.
• I’m not gonna let trivial things annoy me.
• I’m not gonna go down the news rabbit hole.

Pick 1-3 things you’re not gonna do today. See how you feel at the end of the day. Repeat as needed.

“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself.”
― Epictetus

It’s less crowded at the top, but it’s not lonely.

The top is where you find amazing people doing amazing things.

The top is where you meet the best mentors.

The top is where you discover what it takes to be your best.

“Nothing in the affairs of men is worthy of great anxiety.”
― Plato

Don’t panic. Don’t freeze up.

Whatever your challenge, consider it a proving ground.

If you fail, you fail. Learn from it and move forward. But if you panic, you miss out on an opportunity to grow.

So, don’t panic. You’ve got this. You can do it.

“The best way of learning about anything is by doing.”
― Richard Branson

You don’t need to read another book.

You don’t need to watch another video.

You don’t need to complete another tutorial.

You don’t need more training, coaching, or practice.

Stop making excuses. Figure it out as you go. Make mistakes. Learn on the fly. You’re not improving because you’re too busy consuming instead of just doing.

You know what you need to do. Get to work and make it happen.

“If you are the kind of person who is waiting for the ‘right’ thing to happen, you might wait for a long time. It’s like waiting for all the traffic lights to be green for five miles before starting the trip.”
― Robert Kiyosaki

You don’t need permission. You have the technology. You’re smart enough and skilled enough. You’re ready.

So what are you waiting for?

What’s holding you back?

That book you want to write — write it. No publisher? No problem. Self-publish.

The software you want to build — build it. Not a programmer? No problem. Learn to code or try your hand at some no-code tools.

Your brilliant business idea — go for it. Don’t know how to start? No problem. Open your browser, search for solutions, and start moving forward.

Don’t leave your idea as just an idea. Give it life. Make it real. The world is waiting for you.

“To me, ‘busy’ implies that the person is out of control of their life.”
― Derek Sivers

Stop being satisfied with staying busy. Busy means you’re moving, but it doesn’t mean you’re moving in the right direction. Busy means you put in a hard day’s work, but it doesn’t mean you accomplished anything.

Instead, focus on prioritization. Focus on efficiency and productivity. Focus on doing work that matters.

“Age provides perspective, but life wasn’t designed with a point at which it definitively gets easier.”
― Jana Eleanor

My 20s were a time of exciting opportunities, difficult challenges, and constant learning. I am grateful for the journey, but if I had to give my younger self advice, this is where I would start.

1. Anxiety and excitement are basically the same feelings. Whenever you’re feeling anxious or whenever you’re feeling afraid, remind yourself to be excited and you’ll rise to the occasion.
2. Everything worth doing is difficult at the beginning. Nobody magically gets a free pass on this, so just focus on where you want to be, not how far you have to go to get there.
3. Perspective matters more than problems. You can focus on the difficulty or the opportunity. You can find a reason to be miserable or a reason to be grateful. You can focus on what you have to do or what you get to do.