Focus by Daniel Goleman

Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence by Daniel Goleman

Focus, what gets our attention, matters because it determines how we navigate our lives. Oddly, focus is an underrated mental asset that has been largely overlooked.

It was author, Daniel Goleman, who popularized the notion of emotional intelligence. “My goal here,” he writes, “is to spotlight this elusive and under-appreciated mental faculty in the mind’s operations and its role in living a fulfilling life.”

To enjoy a “fulfilling life,” requires a three-part focusing ability: inner, other, and outer focus. Much like a muscle, focus improves as we deliberately use it more and weakens without conscious use.

“Inner focus” makes us aware of our intuitions, our guiding values, and assists in making better decisions. “Other focus” aids in our interpersonal relations. “Outer focus” is necessary for navigating our way in the larger world in which we operate.

It is not that we are paying less attention these days; it is that the attention we pay is decidedly different.

Goleman observed a mother and her daughter on a ferry to an island vacation. “The little girl’s head came only up to her mother’s waist as she hugged her mom and held on fiercely… The mother, though, didn’t respond to her, or even seem to notice: she was absorbed in her iPad all the while.”