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In his book *The Dip*, Seth Godin argues that 'winners quit all the time—they just quit the right stuff at the right time. ' He distinguishes between 'The Dip' (the hard middle where greatness happens) and 'The Cul-de-Sac' (dead ends). Focus is the ability to quit the average activities so you can pour all your energy into becoming the best in the world at the few things that matter.
"If you want to be efficient, stop trying to please everyone. It’s a waste of energy."
"The resistance loves the internet. It's the world's most efficient engine for shallow work."
"You cannot be remarkable if you are constantly interrupted. Remarkable work happens in the quiet spaces."
"You don't need more time, you need more focus."
"Spend more time on the strategy and less on the spreadsheet."
"Every time you check your phone, you are giving away a piece of your potential for greatness."
"Vision is the ability to see the potential in the middle of the noise."
"The lizard brain is the reason you're afraid, the reason you don't ship, the reason you're stuck. It's the voice that tells you to check your email instead of doing the hard work."
"Focus is a choice. It’s the choice to ignore the shiny objects and the urgent-but-unimportant tasks in favor of the work that matters."
"In a world of infinite distraction, the ability to focus is a superpower."
"If you can't state your position in eight words, you don't have a position."
"Being busy is not the same as being efficient. Often, busy-ness is just a way to avoid the hard work of making a choice."
"Deep work isn't about time management; it's about fear management. We hide in the shallow work because it's safe."
"If you are making something for everyone, you are making it for no one."
"Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other."
"The problem with multitasking is that it’s actually multi-switching. And every switch has a cost to your deep focus."
"Focus is the ultimate efficiency. Saying no to the 99 things that don't matter so you can say yes to the one that does."
"The best way to be efficient with your time is to stop checking your email every six minutes."
"The secret to confidence is to stop caring about the critics who aren't your audience."
Seeing how Seth Godin approaches Focus helps you apply the idea with more precision.
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"Use this collection whenever you need Seth Godin's lens on Focus."