How to Do Anything - Part III

I reminded you yesterday that the secret for advancing a project is to give it sufficient regular focused attention.

This all boils down to a matter of time. Most worthwhile things don’t happen quickly. You don’t become a great violinist overnight, or a great athlete, or even a good friend or a good employee. It takes time and persistent effort for things to come to fruition.

Even when something seems to happen in a flash, it’s usually due to good preparation over the years. As Seneca is reputed to have said (though he probably didn’t):

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

Another saying, which this time I can attribute correctly because it’s mine, is:

Better to do a few things well than a lot of things badly.

In the latest edition of my newsletter, which went out yesterday, I give a simple exercise for focusing your mind before and after your working day. It helps you to concentrate on the relatively few things which are an absolute priority for you.

Another thing to bear in mind is that the better ordered you are in general the more projects you can take on. Most people make the mistake of taking too many projects on before they have brought order to what they are already doing.

Tomorrow: Short-term versus Long-Term Results