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Focus
The Hidden Driver of Excellence
Focus (2013) is a guidebook for nurturing today’s scarcest resource: attention. Using cutting-edge research, the book reveals that sharpening our focus in a world of endless distractions is the key to professional success and personal fulfillment. What makes Goleman’s contribution special is that the book expands the definition of “focus” beyond mere concentration and calls for a mindful life in which attention is paid to the self, to others and to the planet.
- Workers and students who wish to improve their focus and productivity
- Anyone who wants to learn the secret of living a focused, mindful life
- Leaders who want to channel their vision effectively and improve their relationships with employees
Daniel Goleman is a psychologist and a former science journalist for the New York Times and the author of 13 books, including the bestseller Emotional Intelligence. He also lectures frequently for professionals and student groups.
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Focus
The Hidden Driver of Excellence
- Read in 19 minutes
- Audio & text available
- Contains 13 key ideas
Synopsis
Focus (2013) is a guidebook for nurturing today’s scarcest resource: attention. Using cutting-edge research, the book reveals that sharpening our focus in a world of endless distractions is the key to professional success and personal fulfillment. What makes Goleman’s contribution special is that the book expands the definition of “focus” beyond mere concentration and calls for a mindful life in which attention is paid to the self, to others and to the planet.
Key idea 1 of 13
What is in it for me? Focus, focus, focus.
Have you ever felt that being easily distracted is holding you back from improving your skills, doing better work and living a more fulfilling life?
Our lives are filled with potential distractions: your smartphone, email, even your thoughts about where you’ll take your next vacation. As you let your attention become increasingly scattered by such distractions, you impair your ability to do your work on time and to do it well.
Yet author Daniel Goleman goes beyond the narrow definition of “focus” to present a guidebook for living a focused life, according to which we can gain a richer, fuller existence by paying attention to ourselves, to others and to larger contexts, like our planet and the future.
Drawing from a well of countless real-life examples, Focus provides many ways for the reader to enhance their level of attention, including practicing mindfulness, positive thinking and engaging in focused preparation.
In these blinks you’ll learn why letting your mind wander can lead you to great insights but also hinder you in accomplishing your goals.
You’ll find out why the best quality for a leader is not the ability to keep their eyes on the prize, but actually self-awareness or empathy.
You’ll discover how to train your willpower like a muscle and how if you do something you love, seeing it through to completion requires much less effort.
Finally, you’ll learn why when you’re stressed and can’t think straight, having a positive attitude will make a massive difference.
Key ideas in this title
- What is in it for me? Focus, focus, focus.
- Attention is the key to high performance in a world of endless distractions.
- Life “on automatic” diminishes our experience of the present moment.
- All types of attention are valuable; open awareness is vital for creative breakthroughs.
- Focus on improving your willpower – it’s one of the key factors in achieving “inner focus.”
- Focus on building your empathy – it will help you navigate within any social context.
- Outer focus – pay attention to the larger context and manage your impact.
- Great leadership hinges on effectively capturing and directing the attention of a collective.
- Inspiring leaders look beyond their own comfort and are motivated to help other people to become successful.
- Successful leaders are aware of the larger context in which they operate.
- Meditation will help you focus on one thing and keep track of your attention span.
- Think happy thoughts: positive thinking is vital for sustaining motivation and achieving goals.
- Final summary
