Do something wonderful – And simple – in your life

“Focal Point”
Brian Tracy
American Management Association, 2002



When you were starting your career, you heard this, not only once, but many times: “You don’t have a focus!” And you are jolted to your senses – looking for ways to “organize” or “prioritize.” And you somehow, intuitively so, succeed.

In the business of discussion – or in life – we have always been told that “to have a focus” will surely make us accomplish more. The problem with discussion is there are many issues, and the problem with life is there are many priorities crying for attention.

In a game of chess, from an amateur’s standpoint, there are two kinds of players: One player goes for an early checkmate gingerly steering clear of a phalanx of pawns, penetrating lines of bishops, and the omnipotence of the queen; the other player forces a “simplification process” toward the end game, pushes for mutual “sacrifice” of pieces – so battleground is run of complexity – and deliver the coup de grace.

One player thrives on complexity, the other had the edge in simplicity. In either case, you need a high level of focus. As in a game of chess, so in a game called life.

“Focal Point,” new book by Brian Tracy, America’s favorite motivational speaker and mentor/coach, is one of many books geared to one objective: Enable us to sharpen our focus – and therefore increase our chance for success. The sub-title actually summarizes it well: “a proven system to simplify your life, doubles your productivity, and achieve all your goals.”

The author begins with the story of a consultant. There was a major technical problem at a nuclear power plant, a malfunction that was slowing every generation. So the nation’s top consultant was brought in – who wasted not time looking for the problem. For the next two days, the consultant walked around, studied and gauges in the control room, took notes and made calculations.

At the end of second day, he took a black felt marker, climbed up the ladder, and out a large black “X” on one of the gauges. “This is the problem,” he said. Shortly, the defect was repaired.

A week later, the plant manager received a bill for $10,000 from the consultant for “services rendered.” The plant manager of this multi-billion dollar facility protested the exorbitant bill, and thus asked for itemized expenses.

The consultant obliged. He sent a new invoice: “For placing ‘X’ on a single gauge, $1. For knowing which gauge to place ‘X’ on: $9,999.”

This “X” is your focal point, said author Tracy – “the one thing you can do to get the best result.”

The book discusses what the author calls the “Focal Point Process” – namely, Values, Vision, Goals, Knowledge and Skills, Habits, Daily Activities and Actions. Each part of the process is discussed in the style of this engaging speaker and author.

The book has an abundance of quotes and principles. One is applying the “80/20 Rule” – we call it “Pareto Law” them. It foes like this: Identify 20 percent of the value of everything you do. Many of our readers might have tried this with success. The author this joins those who have remarkably prospered because of this one simple rule.

The author brings us to self-evaluation, and hold us by the hand toward new ways to succeed. Whether you are a CEO on top of them heap, or a fledging management trainee below, you would find his advice relevant. There are times that he sounds more like motivational speaker and not an author, but that’s pardonable considering the gems of advice he freely throws our way.

Listen: “There are four ways to change: You can do more of some things, you can do less of other things, you can start doing something that you have not done before, and you can stop doing something that is not helpful to you or to achieving your goals.”

That is a mouthful to begin with, and then you journey on with the author in this book.

You can’t help but be inspired by the desire of the speaker to bring you to heights yet unscaled: “Most people settle for far less than they are truly capable of … They settle for a mediocre existence rather than committing themselves to breaking their own mental shackles and escaping from their own mental prisons.”

You get the impression that the author is telling you that you can truly dramatically succeed – that you can do almost anything. Minus the hyperbole, really, he could be right.

And he also knows the requirements for success. He underscores the need for Discipline, and quotes Elbert Hubbard for the purpose: “The ability to make yourself do what you should, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.”

The author throws in many more tips – including the “1,000 percent formula,” which promises us to achieve a thousand percent improvement on your productivity in ten years. He has calculations, too, to convince you. But somewhere in the book, he gives a very encouraging quote that should make your day and mine. He says: “You were born to do something wonderful with your life.”