Down to the Essentials
If you want to increase the efficacy of your business or other projects, focus on the essentials. It is amazing how many times we get carried away spending our time, energy and precious resources on things that do not really help us develop a more profitable endeavor. And, yet, if we focused more on the things that were essential, we would have more to show for our efforts.
Frankly, it is easy to understand why we deviate from focusing on the essentials. Basics can get boring. Yet unnecessary variety is not a prescription for business success. A quote from legendary martial artist Bruce Lee comes to mind, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
Think about it; practicing 10,000 kicks once, or doing a bunch of things relating to business one time, allows us to immerse ourselves in the novelty of what we are doing. New things are often interesting. However, doing the same thing over and over again, 10,000 times for example, is anything but new and certainly may seem boring to some. However, practice, drill, and rehearsal are the gateways to greatness. Oh, and doing the same thing over and over again can be interesting if we truly become engaged in what we are doing.
Which restaurant is going to become best known for its food, the establishment with 100 main courses on the menu, some of which the chef has little, if any, experience in actually preparing, or the place that has three dishes that it has become world famous for because, through repetition and effort, it has perfected its recipes?
So then, what must we do? First, we have to be clear as to what is essential for our endeavor and its success. Then, we must discipline ourselves to focus on those essentials so that we literally become masters of them. In this way, we will make the most productive use of our time. That, consequently, should lead to greater profitability/success for us.
Image courtesy of [arztsamui] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
*Authors note: You might see this column pop up online in a newspaper, under the name Both Sides. I am publishing this column here first at CYInterview.com. For a bunch of years, I have been writing newspaper columns. Since my columns have received a good response on CYInterview, I thought I would share it with you. Hope you enjoy.
You can reach me with your questions and comments at Jay@CYinterview.com Like today’s column? Check back frequently.