Following from my previous article titled ‘Value is not related to time, but to ideas’, here are 10 ways to help you become laser focused on doing the most important things:
- Be a super-connector.
The greatest benefit comes from and goes to, the people who regularly put two of their contacts in touch with each other. These super-connectors naturally stand at the junction of novel ideas and fresh opportunities. We live in a small world because super connectors link disparate domains. Super connectors are few in number but immensely influential and beneficial to society.
2. Collect low costs, green tickets.
In the lottery of life, each ticket we hold has equal chance to win the jackpot. For example, it took me years of hard work to get into Oxford University (red ticket), yet the guy next to me in investment banking graduate recruitment merely impressed the SVP in a boat party (green ticket).
We can acquire — at high cost — a few red tickets: qualifications, long experience, and hard work. But we can also obtain almost an infinite number of low cost green tickets — keep weak links to people who moved into different circles to our own, take mini adventures, go out of your comfort zone just a little. Any one of the green tickets could provide information that move your life up a gear.
3. Mentoring
Mentoring is key to leveraging your team and delegating.
Mentoring executives are open to their mistakes as well as successes. Everyone needs encouragement and guidance. It’s impossible to perform well without them.
A few minutes each week at the right time with the right words to the right person can make all the difference. You can have a massive impact with little effort.
When seeking mentoring yourself, approach the person you really want, listen well to what they have to say, ask for help only when you truly need it, don’t demand too much of their time, and give something back. Mentoring is most effective when it’s enjoyable.
4. Use your subconscious
When we really care about what we want to achieve, our subconscious mind work overtime to supply the answer. This method is well known in scientific discovery — breakthrough happened at the most unexpected times, in shower or in dreams.
Key is to care enough about your goal to get to this state.
5. Visualise success
If you want a quality, act as if you already have it. — William James
The same applies to success.
If you can visualise success, it’s much more If you cannot visualise success, move to a setting where you feel more confident. Achieve success in your industry by recycling and combining ideas that have worked wonders in other contexts.
6. Reduce number of decisions you make by at least 90%
You can only make so many decisions a day before your focus deteriorates. Delegate most decision making but increase amount of time making vital decisions.
7. Trust your colleagues.
Lack of trust lead to horrendous inefficiency whereas a trusting environment enables much more to be done quickly and pleasurably.
9. Hire and work exclusively for and with A-people. Make no exceptions
10. Maximise your use of the firm’s capital. If a project promises exceptional returns, make the investment as big as possible
All in all, the short term challenge of mastering the above is moderate, but the long term benefit is high.
Enjoy.
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