Transcription
Many people struggle with focusing on the task at hand instead of getting distracted by other opportunities. Let's talk about focus and its importance for mastery.
Many young people tell me, "I'm doing this crypto thing, and this hair business, and this other thing." What do you say to those trying to master something while juggling so many things? It's funny because I'm helping the son of an old friend who has this problem. He's incredibly successful—20 years old, very wealthy, has done amazing things—but spreads himself too thin. I can't find a through line connecting everything except making money and networking. This is alluring, especially online, with endless possibilities: crypto, starting a business, health and fitness. People try to connect everything later, but life doesn't work like that. That's not how the brain functions; it's not what we're meant for. It can't start from the world, from what others are doing, or what's trendy. It has to come from within. Otherwise, you'll flounder for years. With this young man, we're asking, "What's in your heart? What do you truly love?" How can we connect his crypto, media business, sports, and fitness interests? He's excited by celebrities, so maybe the film business connects it all—producing, fundraising, networking, meeting people—it's glamorous but focused. When you focus, the world opens up, but it must be on the right thing. If you're meant to be a writer but go to law school for money, you might get by for a year or two, but then things slow down. You're not interested; you're not connected; you're bored, and your focus crumbles. But if you love something, you can focus on it for seven, eight, twelve years and never get bored.
I've observed a family member do something similar. When she starts a business, it gets hard. Then she sees someone else seemingly having an easier time, making money, and gets tempted. She pursues that, now juggling two things, and her first project suffers. Especially early in life, before having Elon Musk-level resources, the game is focusing on one thing to build those resources. Then you can diversify. But in that initial resource-accumulation phase, focus is key. I remember emailing my first investor at 18, with an idea besides the one he’d invested in. He hit me hard: "If you don't focus on one thing, you'll never be successful." You rob yourself of building deep skills.
Wise people know this. Having a mentor who tells you the truth saves years of misery. In 2007, American Apparel was going public, and I was about to be on the board. An investor told me, "Robert, make sure Dove doesn't mindlessly expand. Keep the brand focused on one thing, and it will be successful." I thought it was interesting but didn't have the guts to tell Dove. But some people understand this truth. And envy plays a role—you see a friend succeeding in crypto, having fun, making money. But they're not having as much fun as you think. People create a front on Instagram or TikTok. They're not nearly as happy as they appear. In *Laws of Human Nature*, I discuss Aristotle Onassis, the wealthiest man in the 1960s. Married to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis—who could be happier?—he was miserable. People envied him, but he was unhappy. The people you envy aren't doing as well as you think. Don't let that influence your decisions.
I remember a Johnny Ive clip about working with Steve Jobs. It's simplistic, but shocking how few people practice it: focus. Steve Jobs was the most remarkably focused person Ive ever met. Focus isn't something you aspire to on Monday; it's every minute, asking "Why are we talking about this? This is what we're working on." You achieve so much with true focus. Steve would ask, "How many things have you said no to?" I'd list things, honestly, but they weren't real sacrifices; I wasn't truly interested. Focus means saying no to phenomenal ideas you love, because you're focused on something else. That's the church of focus. I agree completely. I'm writing a book on a specific subject, and I get distractions—speaking engagements, television projects. I'm not seduced because I love writing. But when the writing isn't going well, it's because I'm not focused on what I'm trying to say. Bring that focus down to the finest point—what are you trying to say? What's your brand about? Get into the details. Every time I write something irrelevant, I make a mistake. I do this for weeks before realizing it and pulling back. This level of focus requires energy—a love for what you're doing, so your internal radar alerts you when you deviate. It's painful, but incredibly pleasurable when things click. For young people, it seems painful. Everyone else is having fun, but you're learning. Tell yourself you're doing something that will reward you years later. That friend having fun might be working a crap job in three years, while you're rising. Keep your mind on the larger issue. Compounding returns are slow, then fast. My podcast was flat for three years, then exploded in year four or five. That's a consequence of those first three years—acquiring skills, understanding the audience, and improving. Most people miss that slow, lonely, unrewarding period, losing focus because no one is clapping. There are no downloads. I've never seen another path, no overnight success. Other podcasters—Lewis Howes, Chris Williamson, Jay Shetty—have told me the same story: years of nothing, then boom. I knew them when they were starting out.
With 50 Cent, on *The 50th Law*, people see the glamour, excitement, and sexiness, but he worked incredibly hard and was focused. His success took years of difficulty, hardship, and failure. People only see the concerts and glamour, not the grit and near-failure. He got shot, his label dropped him; he had to rebuild. We only see the success, not the years of hard work.
Howard Gardner's *Frames of Mind* discusses multiple intelligences: logical, linguistic, interpersonal, spatial, and bodily. Logical is reasoning and problem-solving (scientists, mathematicians); linguistic is writing and language (writers, lawyers, poets); interpersonal is leadership and empathy (leaders, psychologists, teachers); spatial is art and architecture (architects, artists, pilots); and bodily is physical skills (athletes, dancers, surgeons). Knowing your intelligence is incredibly important. We tend to think of intelligence as intellectual—computer programming, math, a PhD—but it's also bodily intelligence, like Kobe Bryant. A parent might push a child towards academics when the child wants to do ballet or sports, setting them up for misery. Recognize your child's intelligence and let them pursue it. For me, it was linguistic intelligence—words. I stunk at mechanical intelligence, which is odd since my father was brilliant at it. This debunks genetics. Knowing your intelligence and aligning your life with it is crucial. If your thing is interpersonal intelligence, but you're in a job with no social interaction, you'll be miserable. But knowing that opens a hundred different directions. It doesn't mean only social work—it means leading people, because you understand and like working with others. You're empathetic. That's hundreds of jobs. Knowing your intelligence gives you direction—the most important step. I recommend reading Gardner's book.
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