Get All Access for $5/mo

Multitasking Is a Myth. Harness the Power of Focus to Achieve Extraordinary Results. Doing a lot of things often results in not getting any one thing done. There is exhilarating clarity in concentrating, without distraction, on a single, major goal.

By Jason Forrest Edited by Jessica Thomas

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Whether you're the CEO of your organization or the head of your department, you are the thought leader for your team. The way you think and believe and what you demonstrate can either lead to success or failure. If you're like me, you constantly get ideas or notice patterns you'd like to see change. Too often, those things get pushed to the wayside in favor of the things that have to happen right now.

Related: 3 Ways to Avoid Distractions and Be More Productive

Starting today, I'd like to challenge you to a different approach: When you see something that needs to change or hear an idea from someone that you'd like to incorporate, decide that you are going to focus on it and declare that pursuit to your team and organization.

For example, if you want people to focus on improving communication, talk about communication in every meeting. Add it to your monthly goals. Measure your progress. Take note of what people are talking about in meetings. When you shift your focus in a particular direction, an interesting phenomenon occurs. Suddenly, you will become sensitive to all the problems. It doesn't mean the issues are happening more, it just means you're noticing them more because you've directed your attention there.

It can be discouraging, but not if you have the right mindset. It's an example of teleological thinking, which means that whatever you think about the most is what you will gravitate toward. Your mind becomes especially activated toward a particular topic and you notice everything that could slip by when your mind wasn't tuned into that "channel", so to speak.

Related: How to Achieve a State of Total Concentration

As crazy as it may make you feel, this intense focus can be positive. My second child, Mary Jane, was born six weeks premature and was quickly placed in an incubator on a different floor than my wife, Shelly. They couldn't wheel Shelly's bed (along with all the wires and attachments) to Mary Jane, and they couldn't bring Mary Jane (and the incubator) to Shelly. The only way for Shelly to see and nurse our six-pound, five-ounce newborn was for her to get up. So that's exactly what she did, in less than 24 hours after her C-section.

It usually takes several days, as it had with our first child, but this time was different. Shelly got so focused on the idea of seeing our newborn that no obstacle was going to stop her -- not doctors and nurses advising against it, not her own experience with our first child, not even me, her concerned husband. When you lock on to something, you see everything through that filter. You look for supporting evidence and lock out evidence that contradicts your beliefs and goals. In Shelly's case, it caused her to do something extraordinary.

Have an intense focus. Lock on to your goal. Be extraordinary.

Related: Eliminate These 8 Distractions That Are Killing Your Productivity

Jason Forrest

Author, Speaker, Coach

Jason Forrest is CEO at FPG, a national sales training company. He is an award-winning executive, the author of seven books, and the creator of cutting-edge sales and leadership training programs.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

At Age 15, He Used Facebook Marketplace to Start a Side Hustle — Then It Became Something Much Bigger: 'Raised Over $1.6 Million'

Dylan Zajac, now a 21-year-old senior at Babson College, wanted to bridge the digital divide.

Side Hustle

'I Just Hustled': She Earned More Than $300,000 Wrapping Gifts Last Year — and It All Started With a Side Hustle

When Michelle Hensley lost her husband to cancer, she needed to figure out how to earn an income for her family.

Franchise

McDonald's Announces the Return of the Snack Wrap in 2025 — Here's What to Expect From Its Comeback

The decision comes after years of persistent customer demand for the portable snack, which debuted nearly two decades ago.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Business News

OpenAI Just Released Its Text-to-Video Generator, Sora. Here's How the New AI Could Impact Small Businesses and Creators.

Sora has a variety of use cases for businesses, from social media campaigns to video creation.