1장
The Pursuit of Focused Excellence: Transforming Intention into Achievement
Ever wonder why some people seem to accomplish more in a month than others do in a year? Why certain individuals consistently reach their goals while others remain perpetually stuck in the planning phase? The Power of Focus, now celebrating over two decades of transforming lives, holds the answers to these questions. This international bestseller has become required reading for business leaders across industries, with fans ranging from Richard Branson to Oprah Winfrey. Since its publication, readers have reported remarkable transformations-increasing incomes by up to 246%, eliminating debt, improving relationships, and achieving greater life balance. The book's enduring popularity stems from its practical, actionable approach to success that transcends fleeting motivational rhetoric. What makes it truly powerful is that it doesn't just inspire-it provides a systematic framework for turning inspiration into tangible results through the deceptively simple yet profound concept of focused action.
2장
Habits: The Invisible Architecture of Your Future
Your habits-those seemingly small, daily actions you perform almost unconsciously-are silently determining your destiny. Like links in a chain, each decision you make forms a pattern that eventually becomes automatic, creating the foundation for either success or failure in every area of your life.
Consider Maria Sosa's story. When terrorists threatened her family in Colombia, she made a split-second decision to flee to Canada with her disabled husband and children. This decisive action in a defining moment completely transformed their lives. Her story illustrates a fundamental truth: life is determined by choices, not chance.
The connection between habits and outcomes is undeniable. Successful people have successful habits; unsuccessful people don't. Poor health habits lead to heart disease (costing $286 billion in 2007 alone). Neglecting relationships leads to divorce. Financial mismanagement results in working through retirement years. But these negative patterns can be transformed through conscious habit change.
Changing deeply entrenched habits takes time-often much longer than the commonly cited 21 days, especially for behaviors practiced for decades. Eventually, though, it becomes harder not to do the new habit than to do it. The compound effect of habit change is remarkable: transforming just four habits yearly creates twenty positive new habits in five years, potentially revolutionizing your entire life.
Many counterproductive habits operate invisibly. Common examples include poor time management (being late for meetings, not returning calls), communication issues (talking instead of listening), work-life balance problems (taking work home, neglecting family), and organizational challenges (unpaid bills, undeleted emails). The first step toward change is identifying these patterns through honest self-assessment and feedback from trusted associates.
To transform bad habits, study successful people's routines and disciplines-"they leave clues." Interview one successful person monthly about their habits and strategies. When launching Chicken Soup for the Soul, this approach proved invaluable-consulting bestselling authors like John Gray and Ken Blanchard led to implementing consistent habits: conducting daily radio interviews for two years, sending five books daily to reviewers, offering free story reprints to publications, and providing motivational seminars to booksellers. These disciplined habits ultimately helped sell 500 million books worldwide.
The Successful Habits Formula provides a simple three-step method for creating better habits: First, clearly identify unproductive habits and honestly assess their consequences. Second, define your new successful habit while vividly describing the benefits. Third, create and implement a specific three-part action plan. Remember, in our increasingly digital world, face-to-face communication remains essential for business success and family relationships.
3장
Focus on Your Natural Brilliance: The Path to Extraordinary Results
To achieve extraordinary success, you must invest most of your time doing what you do best while letting others handle the rest. The Rolling Stones exemplify this principle-they focus exclusively on performing and recording while hundreds of others handle logistics. Similarly, champion athletes like LeBron James and Lionel Messi concentrate on perfecting their natural talents through constant practice.
Our greatest rewards come from activities where we score "10" on our talent scale-things we do effortlessly that others find difficult. Many people never discover their true talents, leading to frustration and stress. Gord Wiebe's story illustrates this transformation-from railroad worker to $190 million business owner by aligning his strengths with opportunity.
Understanding whether you're naturally a starter or finisher is crucial for effective delegation. Starters excel at creating new projects but often abandon them before completion. Entrepreneurs typically fall into this category-generating ideas but leaving details unfinished. Finishers thrive on organization and bringing projects to completion. The key is partnership: pair starters with finishers to maximize productivity.
When business expands, hiring help becomes essential. Before resisting due to cost concerns, calculate how much time you'll free up by delegating work you dislike. A personal assistant dedicated solely to you can dramatically improve your life by handling mundane tasks, allowing you to focus on your brilliance. Select someone complementary to your skills-not a clone of yourself. For controllers, learning to surrender tasks is crucial; your assistant may initially perform at 75% of your ability but will eventually match or exceed your performance.
To avoid succumbing to the "tyranny of the urgent," use the 4-D Formula when prioritizing tasks: Dump It (say no to unnecessary activities), Delegate It (hand over tasks that need doing but not by you), Defer It (schedule important but non-urgent matters for later), and Do It (tackle important projects immediately without excuses).
Maintaining focus requires saying "no" more often in three key areas. First, to yourself-silence the negative inner voice with mental pep talks. Second, to other people-close your door when concentration is needed and evaluate opportunities based on others' track records. Third, to technology-turn off your phone during focused work periods and schedule specific times for calls.
The most consistently successful people, like Manchester United's iconic manager Sir Alex Ferguson, demonstrate unwavering focus. Even in his seventieth year, "Fergie" maintained the same youthful enthusiasm and drive, with one clear focus: "Every year we have one focus-winning trophies!"
4장
Developing Unusual Clarity: Seeing Your Future Before It Happens
Peter Daniels overcame learning disabilities, school failure, and three business bankruptcies to become an internationally acclaimed businessman and philanthropist. His secret? Scheduling dedicated thinking time-one full day each week-to envision his future and generate ideas. This practice transformed him from school failure to multimillionaire and bestselling author.
Developing "unusual clarity" requires scheduling regular thinking time, even if starting with just five minutes and building to an hour weekly. Goals are defined as "the ongoing pursuit of a worthy objective until accomplished." Each word matters: "ongoing" indicates a process that takes time; "pursuit" suggests overcoming obstacles; "worthy" means the reward justifies the effort; and "until accomplished" implies doing whatever it takes to succeed.
For effective goal-setting, follow the Top-10 Goals Checklist. Your goals must be yours, not imposed by others, and meaningful enough to inspire total commitment. They must be specific and measurable-vague statements like "start exercising" should be refined to detailed plans like "exercise thirty minutes Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 7-7:30am." Goals should remain flexible enough to adapt to genuine opportunities while still challenging you to leave your comfort zone.
They must align with your core values to create synergy and flow, and be well-balanced across all life areas-not just work. While thinking big, timeframes must remain realistic, remembering "there are no unrealistic goals, only unrealistic timeframes." Your goals should include elements of contribution to society, as "whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."
After establishing the groundwork, create your master plan-your big picture for a better future with crystal-clear clarity. The process involves six major steps, beginning with reviewing the Top-10 Goals Checklist as your frame of reference. Next, decide what you want to accomplish by listing everything you hope to achieve in five years, starting each item with "I am" or "I will" statements.
To sharpen your focus on your desired lifestyle, create inspiring visual representations of your most important goals. Find images that represent what you want to achieve and create a digital presentation organized by goal categories. Add positive affirmations like "I am enjoying a one-month vacation with my family in Australia" along with target dates.
Create a special file on your digital devices or use a notebook like Richard Branson to store your best ideas and insights. This expands your awareness and ensures you don't lose brilliant thoughts that often come at unexpected moments. The power of visualization is exemplified by Olympic athletes who mentally rehearse their events before competing. Canadian swimmer Mark Tewksbury visualized his gold medal victory in detail the night before the 1992 Olympics-seeing himself on the podium, hearing the crowd, and accepting the medal. The next day, he swam exactly as imagined and won.
5장
Overcoming Setbacks: The Champion's Mindset
When facing setbacks, you have two choices: embrace challenges with a "bring-it-on" attitude or bury your head in the sand. Champions develop resilience and bounce-back ability, focusing not on what they've lost but what they can still accomplish.
Champions think differently than average performers. They have quicker recovery times when faced with disappointment and possess a clear vision that makes decisions easier during setbacks. Like W. Mitchell, who survived both a motorcycle accident that burned his body and a plane crash that left him paralyzed, champions focus on what they can still do rather than what they've lost. Mitchell's philosophy-"It's not what happens to you, it's what you do about it that counts"-exemplifies the champion mindset.
Economic downturns can devastate careers, businesses, and financial security with little warning. When facing such setbacks, focusing on practical solutions rather than worry is essential. Creating a list of ten options to improve your situation-as Les did during his financial crisis-can reveal unexpected opportunities and demonstrate your greater capacity to survive and thrive than imagined.
To weather economic storms, implement these strategies: Build financial reserves (saving 20% or more of profits); learn from past mistakes; stay alert to industry trends and warning signs; avoid negative news that reinforces recession mentality; trust your intuition when making course corrections; and avoid diversifying too quickly or chasing "bright shiny objects" that distract from your core business strengths.
When setbacks seem insurmountable, step back and regroup. If your company folds or you lose your job, don't let emotional stress destroy your self-worth. Avoid letting resentment and rage eliminate solution-based thinking. Instead, retrain for new opportunities if necessary, understanding you may need to take steps backward before moving forward.
Luan Mitchell's remarkable journey exemplifies overcoming seemingly impossible setbacks. After her husband Fred's death, she faced hostile shareholders who called her a "blonde piece of fluff" and pressured her to sell the meat packing company. Undeterred, Luan won employee support, built a $45 million plant expansion, and opened new markets in Japan and Asia. Within 2.5 years, she transformed the company from near-bankruptcy to half a billion dollars in revenue with 2,000 employees.
Overcoming setbacks is an ongoing process in life-unless you become a hermit, which has its own challenges. Though obstacles can feel terrifying when you're out of control, remember they're just individual events, not your entire life. Look for lessons once the turmoil subsides, as these experiences strengthen your character for future challenges. Most importantly, your attitude remains the one thing you can control.
6장
Building Excellent Relationships: The Foundation of Lasting Success
Relationships form the foundation of both personal fulfillment and business success. Photographer Chris Keating transformed his passion for family portraits into a thriving business charging $2,000-$15,000 per family by building genuine connections with clients that transformed into long-term repeat business.
Relationships can be fragile, with many marriages failing and families breaking apart despite initial joy and love. Life operates in spirals-the Upward Spiral when things flourish and the Downward Spiral when relationships deteriorate. Like natural phenomena such as tornadoes and whirlpools, relationship spirals contain tremendous energy that can either build or destroy.
To create an Upward Spiral in relationships, analyze past successful connections that blossomed into wonderful long-term friendships or business partnerships. By mentally replaying the significant moments from first meeting to maturity, you develop a blueprint for future relationships. Consider Dave, an engineering business owner who helped a young entrepreneur refine a rubber extrusion product. Their relationship grew through mutual respect, Dave's expertise, and the entrepreneur's vision, eventually resulting in multimillion-dollar contracts and profit-sharing.
Avoid toxic people at all costs! These chronic complainers see the world as one big problem and constantly focus on negative details, draining your energy and destroying relationships. While you shouldn't abandon someone with genuine challenges, you must distance yourself from habitual whiners who dump their negativity on you and cynically burst your positive bubbles.
Warren Buffett, one of the world's most successful investors, uses three critical questions before committing to business relationships: "Do I like them? Do I trust them? Do I respect them?" If any answer is "no," he walks away regardless of potential profits. Before entering important relationships, do your homework by observing how people treat others, especially those in service positions.
Developing excellent relationships requires nurturing valuable connections in a win-win atmosphere-not just surface talk but a genuine philosophy where both parties benefit equally. For business growth, identify and prioritize your "core clients"-consistent buyers who provide steady revenue and referrals. Many businesses neglect these relationships while chasing new customers, though acquiring new clients costs significantly more than retaining existing ones.
The "And Then Some" technique transforms relationships through honest feedback. Ask your partner to rate your performance on a scale of 1-10, then follow up with "What would I have needed to do to make it a ten?" Listen without defensiveness to their response. Then reverse roles. This weekly practice builds extraordinary relationships by encouraging open communication and continuous improvement.
Mentorship can dramatically accelerate your success by helping you avoid costly detours and mistakes. When approaching potential mentors, be sincere and direct. Start by asking for just ten minutes monthly on the phone, which is usually met with a "yes" since it's both a compliment and a reasonable request.
7장
The Confidence Factor: Eliminating Fear and Building Self-Belief
Confidence is a habit that can be strengthened daily despite challenges of fear, worry and uncertainty. Nelson Mandela maintained his confidence through 26 years of imprisonment before becoming South Africa's president. His inaugural speech addressed overcoming our deepest fears and letting our light shine.
Unfinished business creates tremendous energy drain, like pulling an elephant behind you. There are three approaches to handling it: 1) The denial game-pretending problems don't exist, which leads to major consequences; 2) Going into limbo-treading water without making progress while problems remain; 3) Confronting issues head-on-the most effective but often avoided approach due to discomfort with confrontation.
The key is to "step into your fear"-most fear exists only in our minds and disappears when confronted directly. Like firefighters entering burning buildings, the fear vanishes once you take action. Confronting fears restores energy and accelerates progress.
Wayne Teskey and his Mastermind Group of entrepreneurs created a confidence-building challenge: they flew 3,000 miles from Edmonton to Toronto with only twenty-five cents in their pockets and had to find their way back using at least three modes of transport. Without credit cards, checks or friends to help, each member had to rely on creativity and confidence. All members completed the challenge within a week through various means-one worked as a casino croupier and returned with $700, others talked their way into free hotel stays or found odd jobs.
To fully overcome life's challenges and release yourself from past baggage, forgiveness is essential. This means forgiving both others who have hurt you and yourself. No matter how traumatic past experiences were, you must forgive people who undermined your confidence. Equally important is forgiving yourself and silencing negative thoughts of guilt.
Six strategies for building confidence include: 1) Remind yourself daily of things you did well; 2) Read inspiring biographies and stories of people who overcame challenges; 3) Be thankful and put your problems in perspective; 4) Build excellent support around you; 5) Push yourself to accomplish short-term goals to create an environment of weekly accomplishment; and 6) Do something good for yourself every week to celebrate your achievements.
The foundation of confidence is believing in yourself. Many of us have limiting beliefs from childhood programming that tell us we're not capable. This means recognizing your worthiness of love and respect, and believing in your abilities despite obstacles. Elvis Stojko exemplifies this mindset-despite pressure to conform in figure skating, he maintained his unique style, incorporated martial arts, and won World Championships because he simply believed in himself.
8장
The Power of Asking: Unlocking Opportunities Through Simple Questions
Lisa Petrilli needed a kidney transplant after both kidneys failed. With a six-year waiting list in Chicago and already a year into dialysis, Lisa took the uncomfortable step of asking strangers for help. After writing in her church bulletin with no immediate response, a woman named Rose called her after finding the bulletin she almost threw away. Rose donated her kidney, creating an unbreakable bond between them. This experience transformed Lisa's approach to business, as she now says, "Once you have asked a stranger for a kidney and received a 'yes' in return, you are never afraid to ask for anything ever again."
One of life's fundamental truths is "Ask and you shall receive." While children naturally master persistent asking, adults often lose this ability due to excuses and fear of rejection. Three main barriers prevent people from asking: belief systems that say asking isn't right, lack of confidence, and fear of rejection. These barriers can be overcome by releasing old beliefs, building self-confidence, and understanding that rejection isn't personal.
To boost your business through asking, implement these seven strategies:
1. Ask for information. To win new clients, first understand their challenges and goals through a discovery process. Two key questions are "What is your single biggest challenge at this time?" and "What are your most important goals for the next few years?"
2. Ask for business. Surprisingly, over 60% of salespeople never ask for the order after presenting. Always ask a closing question like "Would you like to give it a try?" or "Would you like to attend the next program?"
3. Ask for written endorsements. Well-written testimonials from respected people powerfully demonstrate quality and integrity. Collect testimonials systematically and display them prominently in offices and marketing materials.
4. Ask for top-quality referrals. Referrals are the easiest, least-expensive way to ensure business growth, yet only one in ten companies has a system for gathering them. Make referrals a condition of every sale and describe your ideal prospect clearly.
5. Ask for more business. Many businesses lose thousands by not offering additional products after the initial sale. Like McDonald's famous "Would you like fries with that?" question that added $20 million to their bottom line, strategic upselling can significantly increase revenue.
6. Ask to renegotiate. Renegotiation can save substantial time and money. Negotiate lower mortgage rates (potentially saving thousands by simply asking for a 0.5% reduction) and extend payment terms during cash-flow challenges.
7. Ask for feedback. Regularly survey customers with substantive questions like "How are we doing?" and "What can we improve?" Monthly focus groups where customers receive lunch in exchange for honest feedback help fine-tune business operations.
Effective asking requires specific techniques: Ask clearly with precise language; ask with confidence, boldness and quiet strength-not arrogance; ask consistently rather than giving up after one attempt; ask creatively to stand out in a competitive world; and ask sincerely, dropping facades and showing vulnerability.
9장
Living with Purpose: Finding Meaning in Work and Life
Every decade produces a new generation of young adults seeking careers or education. Generation Y professionals adapt quickly to technology changes and work most productively when passionate about meaningful causes. They prioritize happiness and purpose over immediate financial rewards, seeking growth-oriented companies with excellent training and promotion opportunities.
Finding purpose is vital but often overlooked. Many people reach midlife (35-55) questioning if material success is all there is, feeling an emptiness despite achievements. Living purposefully means enriching others and making a positive difference. Starting with a giving philosophy and helping others without expecting immediate rewards forms the foundation of purposeful living, which can then expand into a broader vision.
Terry Fox's remarkable story exemplifies purpose in action. At eighteen, facing cancer and leg amputation, Terry chose meaning over despair by committing to run across Canada. His Marathon of Hope aimed to raise $1 million for cancer research but ultimately generated $24.17 million. Despite running with a prosthetic leg that caused pain with every step, Terry covered 3,339 miles in 143 days-nearly a marathon daily. Though cancer claimed his life in 1981 before he could finish, his legacy has raised over $400 million through annual runs in fifty countries, demonstrating how purpose transcends individual limitations.
Purpose transcends goals-it's the big picture umbrella under which goals operate. Terry's purpose was eliminating cancer; his goal was raising money through running. Three key points activate purpose: First, align purpose with natural abilities as Terry did with athletics. Second, be determined-Terry persevered through all weather and initial lack of recognition, maintaining focus where others might waver. Third, maintain humility-like Gandhi and Mother Teresa, Terry remained humble despite growing fame, acknowledging others' contributions and focusing on the cause rather than personal glory.
Most people lack well-defined purpose. Finding yours requires quiet reflection away from daily distractions-perhaps at a retreat. Purpose begins with recognizing your talents and what energizes rather than depletes you. Purposeful work involves caring deeply about something and feeling you're making a difference, regardless of fame. Your enthusiasm level matters more than money-focused goals.
Many businesses invest in creating mission statements that end up as elegant plaques without integration into company culture. When employees can't recite their company's mission, it reveals a disconnect between stated values and daily operations. Replace "Mission Statement" with "Our Purpose" and keep it simple enough for everyone to memorize and practice daily. Harry Rosen Men's Wear exemplifies this with their statement: "To Exceed Our Customer's Expectations," which empowers employees to take action.
You know you're making a difference when simple but meaningful moments occur: listening to a stranger's troubles, receiving a heartfelt card from your child, being described as a genuine giver, maintaining loyal customers, naturally going the extra mile, experiencing unexpected opportunities as "payback," and feeling fulfilled despite physical tiredness at day's end.
