Focus

May 3, 2023

Focus #

The art of not pursuing projects - how doing less results in more.

My goals are far away, and I worry whether I’ll ever reach them. This blog should document the path towards my dreams, yet I fail to take any steps. I have ideas, start projects, and then they all fade into nothing.

The reason: my lack of focus.

My biggest weakness is getting excited about new ideas before giving the ones I started the chance to grow. I decide on a project, find a name, set up a website, and when the real work begins, I brainstorm the next one. I sometimes think about 7 projects at a time - which results in none of them turning into anything.

If I’d focus on only one project instead, I could make it a reality. The tricky part is saying no to all the other ideas I am in love with. I have to be aware that starting a new project means killing all the past ones, and as much as I love my ideas, I’ll have to let them die in my note-taking app.

The limiting factor is time, not ideas. If there are multiple ideas I want to pursue, I have to do it one at a time and start with the most important one.

Kill your darlings and strangle your babies.

Jan Böhmermann