Should you ruthlessly eliminate and focus on just one thing?
Or, can a little variety actually stoke your creative juices and help you grow?
It has become popular to sing the praises of focus at the expense of all other pursuits.
In my opinion, this has done more harm than good.
I consider this the close cousin to the “guru”-driven hustle culture that is so poisonous.
Niche down.
Kill your side hustle.
Focus.
While this works for some, for those like me, who thrive on variety, this can cause you to miss on a great opportunity to stretch your mind and stimulate your creativity.
Maybe it’s time for us all to recognize the power of variety.
That is, as a business owner, do you have a singular, narrow focus in the projects you take on?
Or, are you willing to roll up your sleeves, and take on work which might be slightly different than what you’re used to?
A lot of business owners are focused on doing “just one thing.”
Don’t get me wrong, there are strengths in this philosophy. However, there’s something to be said about “generalizing” your approach, even slightly, to maximize your efficiencies as a business owner.
Let me give you an example.
In my “younger days,” I played a lot of basketball.
One thing I noticed was that the best basketball players weren’t just basketball players.
They were athletes.
They played a variety of sports which boosted their skills (and also worked out more muscle groups!) and allowed them to be more effective players.
Sure, they may not have taken the other sports as seriously as basketball, but they allowed themselves to develop in other areas and skill sets that maybe basketball alone wouldn’t otherwise provide.
Even in professional-level sports, athletes spend a great deal of time in the weightroom, increasing their cardio, building their mental fortitude, and other forms of training outside of just the sport itself.
Herein lies my point.
Maybe you are an accountant who wants to moonlight as a restaurateurs.
Or a real estate agent who wants to start a part-time gig as a juggler in the local circus.
Hey, it’s a free country, right?!
There is a great deal of value in taking on projects that are slightly outside your comfort zone.
They could allow you to develop skills, expertise, and experience in areas that could benefit your core business focus.
In fact, it could even open up new revenue opportunities in your business that you hadn’t previously thought of or explored.
Variety could very well be your secret to success in 2021 and beyond!
Want some help with focus?