Jay shri krishna
LKrishna THINKING
Once you have a handle on what you should think about, you must decide
how to better focus on it. Here are five suggestions to help you with the process:Remove Distractions
Removing distractions is no small matter in our current culture, but it’s
critical. How do you do it? First, by maintaining the discipline of practicing your
priorities. Don’t do easy things first or hard things first or urgent things first. Do
first things first—the activities that give you the highest return. In that way, you
keep the distractions to a minimum.
Second, insulate yourself from distractions. I’ve found that I need blocks of
time to think without interruptions. I’ve mastered the art of making myself
unavailable when necessary and going off to my “thinking place” so that I can
work without interruptions. Because of my responsibilities as founder of three
companies, however, I am always aware of the tension between my need to
remain accessible to others as a leader and my need to withdraw from them to
think. The best way to resolve the tension is to understand the value of both
activities. Walking slowly through the crowd allows me to connect with people
and know their needs. Withdrawing from the crowd allows me to think of ways
to add value to them.
My advice to you is to place value on and give attention to both. If you
naturally withdraw, then make sure to get out among people more often. If
you’re always on the go and rarely withdraw for thinking time, then remove
yourself periodically so that you can unleash the potential of focused thinking.
And wherever you are… be there!
Make Time for Focused Thinking
Once you have a place to think, you need the time to think. Because of the fast
pace of our culture, people tend to multi-task. But that’s not always a good idea.
Switching from task to task can cost you up to 40 percent efficiency. According
to researchers, “If you’re trying to accomplish many things at the same time,
you’ll get more done by focusing on one task at a time, not by switching
constantly from one task to another.”
Years ago I realized that my best thinking time occurs in the morning.
Whenever possible, I reserve my mornings for thinking and writing. One way to
gain time for focused thinking is to impose upon yourself a rule that one
company implemented. Don’t allow yourself to look at e-mail until after 10
A.M. Instead, focus your energies on your number one priority. Put non-
productive time wasters on hold so that you can create thinking time for
yourself.
Keep Items of Focus Before You
Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great transcendental thinker, believed,
“Concentration is the secret of strength in politics, in war, in trade, in short in all
management of human affairs.” To help me concentrate on the things that matter,
I work to keep important items before me. One way is to ask my assistant, Linda
Eggers, to keep bringing it up, asking me about it, giving me additional
information in reference to it.
I’ll also keep a file or a page on my desk so that I see it every day as I work.
That strategy has successfully helped me for thirty years to stimulate and
sharpen ideas. If you’ve never done it, I recommend that you try it. (I’ll tell you
more about it in the section on reflective thinking.)
Set Goals
I believe goals are important. The mind will not focus until it has clear
objectives. But the purpose of goals is to focus your attention and give you
direction, not to identify a final destination. As you think about your goals, note
that they should be
Clear enough to be kept in focus
Close enough to be achieved
Helpful enough to change lives
Those guidelines will get you going. And be sure to write down your goals. If
they’re not written, I can almost guarantee that they’re not focused enough. And
if you really want to make sure they’re focused, take the advice of David
Belasco, who says, “If you can’t write your idea on the back of my business
card, you don’t have a clear idea.”
Even if you look back years from now and think your goals were too small,
they will have served their purpose—if they provide you with direction.
Question Your Progress
Take a good look at yourself from time to time to see whether you are actually
making progress. That is the most accurate measure of whether you are making
the best use of focused thinking. Ask yourself, “Am I seeing a return for my
investment of focused thinking time? Is what I am doing getting me closer to my
goals? Am I headed in a direction that helps me to fulfill my commitments,
maintain my priorities, and realize my dreams?”
WHAT ARE YOU GIVING UP TO GO UP?
No one can go to the highest level and remain a generalist. My dad used to
say, “Find the one thing you do well and don’t do anything else.” I’ve found that
to do well at a few things, I have had to give up many things. As I worked on
this chapter, I spent some time reflecting on the kinds of things I’ve given up.
Here are the main ones:
I Can’t Know Everyone
I love people, and I’m outgoing. Put me into a room full of people, and I feel
energized. So it goes against my grain to restrict myself from spending time with
lots of people. To compensate for that, I’ve done a couple of things. First, I’ve
chosen a strong inner circle of people. They not only provide tremendous
professional help, but they also make life’s journey much more pleasant. Second,
I ask certain friends to catch me up on what’s happening in the lives of other
friends. I usually do that when I’m traveling and can’t block out the time I would
need for focused thinking.
I Can’t Do Everything
There are only a few exceptional opportunities in any person’s lifetime. That’s
why I strive for excellence in a few things rather than a good performance in
many. That’s cost me. Because of my workload, I also have to skip doing many
things that I would love to do. For example, every week I hand off projects that I
think would be fun to do myself. I practice the 10-80-10 principle with the
people to whom I’m delegating a task. I help with the first 10 percent by casting
vision, laying down parameters, providing resources, and giving encouragement.
Then once they’ve done the middle 80 percent, I come alongside them again and
help them take whatever it is the rest of the way, if I can. I call it putting the
cherry on top.
I Can’t Go Everywhere
Every conference speaker and author has to travel a lot. Before I began doing
much speaking, that seemed like a glamorous life. But after logging several
million miles, I know what kind of a toll it can take. Ironically, I still love
traveling for pleasure with my wife, Margaret. It’s one of our great joys. She and
I could take ten vacations a year and enjoy every one of them. Yet we can’t,
because so much of my time is consumed doing what I was called to do: help
people to grow personally and to develop as leaders.
I Can’t Be Well-Rounded
Being focused also keeps me from being well-rounded. I tell people, “Ninety-
nine percent of everything in life I don’t need to know about.” I try to focus on
the one percent that gives the highest return. And of the remaining ninety-nine,
Margaret keeps me aware of whatever I need to know. It’s one of the ways I keep
from getting totally out of balance in my life.
Being willing to give up some of the things you love in order to focus on
what has the greatest impact isn’t an easy lesson to learn. But the earlier
you embrace it, the sooner you can dedicate yourself to excellence in what
matters most.
Thinking Question
Am I dedicated to removing distractions and mental clutter so that I
can concentrate with clarity on the real issue?
Jay shri krishna..
LKrishna THINKING
Contact MAIL. lkrishna.htat@gmail.com
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