4. Find your focus.

“Harvard Professor Michael Porter describes the essence of strategy as ‘deciding what not to do.’ Leaders who aren’t able to make tough choices doom their organizations to mediocrity when they do too many things in an adequate way and nothing with excellence as the desirable standard.”

This often leads me to wonder how Suzy is a writer, gymnast, acrobat, astronaut, business coach, jedi ninja and avid side-business hustla? Because the reality of entrepreneurship is that your long-term success will hinge on your capability to strategically focus.

Did you know that, “When you shift attention from one focus of attention to another, the average time it takes to finish the first task increases by at least 25%?” (Source: TIME magazine article) This doesn’t mean you cannot be multi-faceted. I’d never limit your genius. But, in order to be excellent you’ll need to prioritize your super humanness and dedicate yourself to achieve mastery in fewer areas. This is what separates the hobbyist from the business game changer.

As entrepreneur, Mike Haydon suggests, “The levels of focus then are: focus on the one discipline until it is mastered and total focus of one’s life to achieving mastery.” So, what will you master?

5. Employ your ultradian rythym.

Entrepreneurship is a marathon – not a full-on sprint. But that doesn’t mean you can’t turn up the heat when necessary. According to Tony Schwartz, president and CEO of The Energy Project, in a 99U post, “The ultradian rhythm refers to a 90-minute cycle inside us, during which we move from a state of higher physiological arousal progressively down towards fatigue.” Schwartz suggests, “During this time, “Focus intensely, ideally without interruption, for no more than 90 minutes at a time. Then take a real break, for at least a few minutes, to relax emotionally, give the mind a rest and physically recharge.”

When it’s time to put your head down–nose to the grind–keep these business lessons in mind and you just may find that your dreams are closer to reality than you ever imagined.

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