Creating space

source

A single word of advice, given to all startups, and to CEOs of large companies, and they in turn to their teams:

“Focus!”

But what does that mean, precisely? And anyway isn’t quantity sometimes in fact better than quality? Don’t we need to test a bunch of stuff instead of trying to make one thing work?

Only when we stop doing most things, do we have the time and energy to fully, deeply execute the most important things. And the important things are the difference between thriving and perishing.

“I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”
⁠—Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

When you stop trying to sell people who aren’t a good fit, you create space for 3x more sales pitches, each with 3x the close-rate.

When you help draining customers exit the business, you create space to spend time with easy, happy ones, who want to spend more every year while giving you positive energy.

When you stop trying to win over everyone, you create space to win over the right ones.

When you stop trying to shore up every weakness, you create space to leverage your strengths.

When you stop trying to schedule all work, you create space for impactful work.

When you stop trying to do everything in a novel way (UX, coding, pricing, org structure), you create space for a few truly impactful modes of differentiation.

When you stop using lazy, generic words in marketing, you create space on the page to communicate what you actually do, or who you actually are, or why anyone should care.

When you end toxic relationships, you create space for healthy ones. Personal or professional. For you and the teams around you.

When you stop trying to control every last detail, you create space for empowered teams to flourish, and for you to work on things that only you can do, or only you ought to do.

When you stop reading garbage, you create space to read something meaningful, or useful, or enjoyable, or inspiring, or refreshing.

When you stop chasing every metric, you create space to attack the one metric that will transform the company.

When you stop trying to improve everything by 1%, you create space to improve the biggest thing by 30%.

When you stop trying to please every ill-fitting customer, you create space to convert “satisfied” customers into “fanatics” who increase word-of-mouth growth, leave positive reviews, and never cancel even if something bad happens.

When you stop checking email and social media every 11 minutes, you create space to become enveloped in the flow of creativity and productivity.

When you stop trying to maximize every metric, you create space to maximize the few metrics that matter most.

When you stop pursuing every opportunity, you create space to fully capitalize on the one with the thickest intersection of upside potential and ability to execute.

When you stop creating superficial relationships with every stranger on social media, you create space to create deep, mutual, caring relationships.

When you stop trying to win every battle with every competitor, you create space to win the ones that matter most to the people in your ideal market.

When you stop trying to “find the balance” in everything, you create space to maximize the one choice that creates clarity and strength.

When you stop trying to “have it all,” you create the space to deeply experience the few things that are most important.

We don’t have unlimited time or energy, but we can better spend the limited time that we have.

That’s why: Focus.

Decisions are easy when you have only one priority.
Your destination is a huge mountain peak on the horizon.
You can see it from everywhere.
Yes to that mountain, and no to everything else.
You’ll always know where you’re going, and what you’re doing next.
All paths go either towards that mountain or away from it.

Because of this perspective, problems won’t deter you.
Most people look down at the ground, upset by every obstacle.
With your eyes on the horizon, you’ll step over obstacles,
undeterred.
⁠—Derek Sivers, Hell Yeah or No

Printed from: A Smart Bear
https://longform.asmartbear.com/focus/
© 2007-2026 Jason Cohen      @asmartbear