Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence

In a world of over stimulating diversions, it is critical that we Focus our attention and resources intentionally and purposefully. This book points out how to focus and why we need to focus.Thought provoking and inspiring.

Focus, what gets our attention, matters because it determines how we navigate our lives. Oddly, focus is an underrated mental asset that has been largely overlooked.It was author, Daniel Goleman, who popularised the notion of emotional intelligence. “My goal here,” he writes, “is to spotlight this elusive and under-appreciated mental faculty in the mind’s operations and its role in living a fulfilling life.”To enjoy a “fulfilling life,” requires a three-part focusing ability: inner, other, and outer focus. Much like a muscle, focus improves as we deliberately use it more and weakens without conscious use.“Inner focus” makes us aware of our intuitions, our guiding values, and assists in making better decisions. “Other focus” aids in our interpersonal relations. “Outer focus” is necessary for navigating our way in the larger world in which we operate.It is not that we are paying less attention these days; it is that the attention we pay is decidedly different.Goleman observed a mother and her daughter on a ferry to an island vacation. “The little girl’s head came only up to her mother’s waist as she hugged her mom and held on fiercely… The mother, though, didn’t respond to her, or even seem to notice: she was absorbed in her iPad all the while.”The mother’s indifference is a symptom of how technology captures our attention and interferes with our connection.An eighth-grade teacher told Goleman that she has observed a decline in her pupil’s ability to read. “She wonders if perhaps her students’ ability to read has been somehow compromised by the short, choppy messages they get in texts.”The distracting effects of technology has led to a number of companies in Silicon Valley (the home of technology!) to ban laptops, mobile phones, and other digital tools during meetings.An executive coach, Tony Schwartz, who helps leaders manage their energy, told Goleman, “We get people to become more aware of how they use attention— which is always poorly. Attention is now the number-one issue on the minds of our clients.”Decades ago, Nobel-winning economist Herbert Simon presciently warned of the implications of the coming information-rich world. He warned, “A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”There are two main types of distractions: sensory and emotional. The sensory distractors are easier to deal with, the more daunting distractions are the emotionally loaded issues. Such thoughts intrude in for a good reason: to have us think through what to do about what is upsetting us.Too often, the intrusions are unresolved and so the distressing thoughts recur in the same loop of worry.Focus, or attention, works at many levels. “What’s trending now” is a signal of how we are allotting our collective attention. Workplace surveys show where employees are spending most of their attention. Large numbers are daydreaming, wasting hours cruising the Web or YouTube, and doing the bare minimum required.“To get the disengaged workers any nearer the focused range demands upping their motivation and enthusiasm, evoking a sense of purpose, and adding a dollop of pressure,’ Goleman suggests.Life today is enmeshed in the digital distractions that create a near-constant cognitive overload. Overload wears out our self-control. Lost in the digital world we forget our resolve to diet and mindlessly reach for the Pringles, or forget the names of people we know well.It is easy to assume that attention needs be in the service of solving problems or achieving goals. However, our best ideas often come from the mind’s tendency to drift. Focused, goal-driven attention does not have more value than open, spontaneous awareness. Our minds will wander towards our current personal concerns and unresolved business, matters that do require our attention.At the corporate level “Directing attention toward where it needs to go is a primal task of leadership,” Goleman asserts.The leader’s task is to capture and direct the collective attention of staff. This requires, firstly that leaders focus their own attention, and only then attract and direct the attention from others. The requirement for the leader to have clarity of focus is largely because the attention of staff is guided by what leaders attend to – whether they explicitly articulate it or not.Organizations, as with individuals, have a limited capacity for attention. Organizations have to choose where to allocate attention, what they will focus on, and what they will ignore.“Signs of what might be called organizational “attention deficit disorder” include making flawed decisions because of missing data, no time for reflection, trouble getting attention in the marketplace, and inability to focus when and where it matters,” Goleman observes.In order to focus an organization, the leader must simplify the complexity. This is never a simple matter. Steve Jobs’s dictum that Apple products should allow a user to do anything in three clicks or fewer, demanded a deep understanding of the function of the commands and buttons being given up, and finding elegant alternatives.Focus at the strategic level is no different. It too demands a deep understanding of what can be overlooked and of the alternatives.This issue of individual ability to focus and well as our corporate ability to focus is too urgent to ignore. This book is a excellent place to start.Readability Light ---+- SeriousInsights High +_--- LowPractical High --+-- LowIan Mann of Gateways consults internationally on leadership and strategy

The media could not be loaded.  “In very recent years the science of attention has blossomed far beyond vigilance. That science tells us these skills determine how well we perform any task. If they are stunted, we do poorly; if muscular, we can excel. Our very nimbleness in life depends on this subtle faculty. While the link between attention and excellence remains hidden most of the time, it ripples through almost everything we seek to accomplish.This supple tool embeds within countless mental operations. A short list of some basics includes comprehension, memory, learning, sensing how we feel and why, reading emotions in other people and interacting smoothly. Surfacing this invisible factor in effectiveness lets us better see the benefits of improving this mental faculty, and better understand just how to do that.Through an optical illusion of the mind we typically register the end products of attention—our ideas good and bad, a telling wink or inviting smile, the whiff of morning coffee—without noticing the beam of awareness itself.Though it matters enormously for how we navigate life, attention in all its varieties represents a little-noticed and underrated mental asset. My goal here is to spotlight this elusive and underappreciated mental faculty in the mind’s operations and its role in living a fulfilling life.”~ Daniel Goleman from FocusDaniel Goleman is a former New York Times science writer and author of the uber-bestselling book Emotional Intelligence.In Focus, we look at the underlying neuroscience of attention.We need to start by realizing that the strength (or weakness) of our attention is at the core of E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. we do.Everything!Which is why Goleman calls it “the hidden driver of excellence.”(It’s also why protecting and cultivating Emerson’s attention is one of the absolute top priorities Alexandra and I have as we seek to bring forth (aka parent) the best within him.)The good news is that our focus is like a muscle—although if we use it poorly it will wither, if we work it out wisely it gets stronger. Goleman walks us through the neuroscience of the various facets of our focus. I’m going to focus on practical stuff we can apply TODAY.I'm excited to share some of my favorite Big Ideas:1. Yoda Says - Your focus is your reality.2. Fruitless Rumination - vs. Productive reflection.3. Resting - Your mental muscle.4. Willpower - It's 3 types of focus.5. Smart Practice - T0 reach your Peak.Let's optimize our ability to focus and then widen our lens so we can serve as profoundly as we possibly can!.More goodness— including PhilosophersNotes on 300+ books in our ​*OPTIMIZE*​ membership program. Find out more at brianjohnson . me.

The book isn't without moments of lucid purpose, but those moments are scattered, and unfortunately, fairly rare. There's interesting bits of advice here and there, but a lot of the information is just that, information, seemingly for its own sake, and loosely related to the topic of focus. The author seems to have a very wide definition of what focus actually is which makes the title seem misleading, and even within the diverse topics the book jumps from topic to topic a little too haphazardly. The book wants to be Willpower, but lacks the clarity of purpose, and coincidentally, focus, of that book. The anecdotes are not particularly effective. The book opens with an anecdote about a house detective who watches for shoplifters with incredible focus. That's as far as it goes, it doesn't have a specific story about him, or have any interesting climax: it's just mentioned that he's an example of someone with Focus. The anecdotes need a sense of story to carry the weight of the stories in similar books. The use of scientific examples is similarly limited, and sometimes he sites sources, sometimes he doesn't. I wanted to like this book, I was hoping for something similar to Flow, but perhaps easier to digest. This book is more like the last 100 pages of the Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, it dances around the topic without going into sufficient detail about what you really want to learn about.

"Focus" by Daniel Goleman is a captivating exploration of the power of attention in our modern world. From start to finish, Goleman delves into the intricacies of focus, offering valuable insights and practical guidance for improving our ability to concentrate in an age of distraction.One of the standout features of this book is its inherent interest factor. Goleman has a remarkable talent for weaving together research, anecdotes, and practical advice into a compelling narrative. Whether discussing the neuroscience behind attention or sharing real-life examples of individuals mastering their focus, "Focus" keeps readers engaged from cover to cover.Beyond its inherent interest, Goleman's guidance proves immensely helpful. Through clear and concise explanations, he provides readers with actionable strategies for sharpening their focus and enhancing their productivity. Whether you're a student struggling to concentrate in class or a professional seeking to boost your performance at work, the insights in "Focus" are invaluable.Moreover, the quality of the book itself is commendable. The pages are of high quality, with crisp printing that enhances readability. Additionally, the text is presented in a larger font size, making it easy on the eyes and ensuring that readers can fully immerse themselves in Goleman's wisdom without strain.In summary, "Focus" is a must-read for anyone seeking to harness the power of attention in their personal and professional lives. With its intriguing content, practical guidance, and excellent page quality, it's a book that's sure to leave a lasting impact. Dive into "Focus" today and unlock the secrets to sharpening your focus and achieving your goals!

excelente

I was really interested in the subject when I bought this book but it offers little information on the subject like 80 pages of 300 I was expecting practical information that I can use to improve my focus but I couldn't find it in this book . Also I don't like how this author writes I find it confusing.

I totally liked it and it met my expectations: the book provides sufficient scientific background, backed up with results of experiments, and clearly explains how the brain/attention works and how I can work around it to improve my studies. Some exercises from the book serve me in daily life. For those who have children I’d say this book is almost mandatory to help you help your kids have a better future.

Ein super Ratgeber der einem Zeit, dass man sich gerade in der heutigen digitalen, schnellen und lauten Welt konzentrieren muss, sich auf das wesentliche und wichtige zu fokussieren. Definitiv eine Empfehlung