In a world deluged by irrelevant information, clarity is power. Yuval Noah Harari
Success demands singleness of purpose. Vince Lombardi
Focus does not mean saying yes, it means saying no. Steve Jobs
Only through focus can you do world-class things, no matter how capable you are. Bill Gates
It is those who concentrate on but one thing at a time who advance in this world. Og Mandino
Effectiveness begins with elimination. Choose your ignorances as carefully as your interests. @TheStoicEmperor
Too much sugar leads to a heavy body, and too many distractions lead to a heavy mind. Naval Ravikant
The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus. Bruce Lee
Knowing what to leave out is just as important as knowing what to focus on. Warren Buffett
I’ll live the focused life, because it’s the best kind there is. Winifred Gallagher
Your attention has value. Don’t give it away. They will say it’s important but it’s not. Stay focused. Maxime Lagacé
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. Buddha
The modern impediment to learning is attention, not access. @TheStoicEmperor
These three things leads to positive non-linear results: clarity, focus, and time. Simple but not easy. Shane Parrish
The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything. Warren Buffett
See also: inner peace quotes, silence quotes, hard work quotes
The Best Focus Quotes
It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential. Bruce Lee Click to tweet
Focus is more important than genius. Greg McKeown
If you don’t pay appropriate attention to what has your attention, it will take more of your attention than it deserves. David Allen
Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it; dream of it; live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea; and leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success. Swami Vivekananda
I think the ability is to singularly focus is related to the ability to lose yourself and be present, happy, and actually, ironically, more effective. Naval Ravikant
Humans are not designed to have the entire world’s news thrown at them all the time. Naval Ravikant
To produce at your peak level you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction. Cal Newport (Deep Work)
If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions. Albert Einstein
Where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going. Rather than always focusing on what’s urgent, learn to focus on what is really important. Stephen R. Covey
You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks. Winston Churchill Click to tweet
Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts. Søren Kierkegaard Click to tweet
Saying no is more important than saying yes. Shane Parrish
Self-actualizing people – highly functioning people who live at extraordinary levels of awareness – train their minds to focus on what they intend to create and what they intend to manifest, and they won’t let anybody change their mind. Wayne Dyer
The only reason men fail is because of broken focus. Mike Murdock
It is good to have a goal, but bad to let your goal have you. Focus is good, but focus that is too narrow becomes blindness. @TheStoicEmperor
Multitasking is the sign of a stressed and diseased mind simultaneously doing many things poorly. Quality work and quality thinking require quiet focus. Thibaut
Most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquillity. Ask yourself at every moment, “Is this necessary?” Marcus Aurelius
Develop the habit of letting small bad things happen. If you don’t, you’ll never find time for the life-changing big things. Tim Ferriss
Those who focus best are relatively immune to emotional turbulence. Daniel Goleman (Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence)
Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials. Lin Yutang
Part 2. Focus Quotes That Are…
The Most Famous Focus Quotes (Emerson, Tony Robbins, Bill Gates, etc)
I succeeded because I have a long attention span. Charlie Munger
Where focus goes, energy flows. Tony Robbins Click to tweet
Always remember, your focus determines your reality. George Lucas (Star Wars)
I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe. Dalai Lama
If there are nine rabbits on the ground and you want to catch one, just focus on one. Jack Ma (Alibaba)
Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus. Alexander Graham Bell
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. Aristotle
Concentration is the secret of strength in politics, in war, in trade, in short in all management of human affairs. Ralph Waldo Emerson
My success, part of it certainly, is that I have focused in on a few things. Bill Gates (Microsoft)
I don’t focus on what I’m up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest. Venus Williams
Success at anything will always come down to this: focus and effort. And we control both. Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)
I learned that focus is key. Not just in your running a company, but in your personal life as well. Tim Cook (Apple)
The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes. Sherlock Holmes
People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. Steve Jobs
Focus like a laser, not a flashlight. Michael Jordan
Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Concentration comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger. Arnold Palmer Click to tweet
The first requisite of success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem without growing weary. Thomas A. Edison
Channel your energy. Focus. Carl Lewis
The main thing is to keep the main thing a main thing. Stephen R.Covey
More famous quotes
See also: The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results (Amazon Book)
Short Focus Quotes
One-liners, short focus quotes, sayings, thoughts and captions for your bio, social status, self-talk, motto, mantra, signs, posters, wallpapers, backgrounds.
You get more of whatever you give attention to. Shane Parrish
We expand what we focus on. Wayne Dyer Click to tweet
Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Flow follows focus. Steven Kotler
FOCUS – Follow One Course Until Successful. Robert T. Kiyosaki
High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus). Cal Newport (Deep Work)
Drama is distraction. @TheStoicEmperor
Re-focus. What’s vital? Thibaut
You must be zealous in order to focus. Maxime Lagacé
Focus on one thing: the most important. Maxime Lagacé
Only the paranoid survive. Andy Grove
Multitasking is a lie. Gary Keller (The ONE Thing)
Focus is more important than intelligence. Unknown
When life gets blurry, adjust your focus. Unknown
Starve your distractions, feed your focus. Unknown
For the future, the motto is, “No days unalert”. Robert Greene
Take a deep breath and focus on what’s really important. Wayne Dyer
Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Gary Vaynerchuk
Being busy is cheap, focus is expensive. Brian Norgard Click to tweet
Focus is a matter of deciding what things you’re not going to do. John Carmack
Focus on what you have. Suze Orman
Do whatever you do intensely. Robert Henri
Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow. Robert T. Kiyosaki
More short quotes
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Inspirational And Positive Focus Quotes
Goals may give focus, but dreams give power. John C. Maxwell Click to tweet
Set your target and keep trying until you reach it. Napoleon Hill
Don’t make excuses for why you can’t get it done. Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen. Ralph Marston
Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. Harriet Beecher Stow
Focus to unlock your genius. Maxime Lagacé
Don’t worry about what you can’t control. Our focus and energy needs to be on the things we can control. Attitude, effort, focus – these are the things we can control. Tim Tebow
Your current thoughts are creating your future life. What you think about the most or focus on the most will appear as your life. Rhonda Byrne
Everyone has the same amount of time, and hard work is simply hard work. As a result, what you do in the time you work determines what you achieve. And since what you do is determined by what you think, how big you think becomes the launching pad for how high you achieve. Gary Keller
An hour of focused attention may be worth more than days of partial attention. This is true for work and for relationships. Chronic “multitasking” is a symptom of messy decision making. Don’t try to do everything at once. Do one thing well, then do another. @TheStoicEmperor
Directed attention results in precise and effective action. Divided attention results in clumsy and inconsistent action. @TheStoicEmperor
How do some achieve what many desire? They seek the best teachers. They sacrifice. They delay gratification. They see the world as it is, not as they wish it to be. They revise their theories. They resist distraction. They watch the right metrics. They avoid costly drama. @TheStoicEmperor
Turn off the news. Delay the unessential. Reduce your appointments. Slow down. Break tasks into small portions. Seek help. Focus on little pleasures. Count your blessings. Sleep. Drink more water. Take a walk. Breathe deeply. Sit quietly and let every muscle relax. Thibaut
In general, obstacles force your mind to focus and find ways around them. They heighten your mental powers and should be welcomed. Robert Greene
Focus on your greater goal, your destiny. Robert Greene
Our focus is our future. David DeNotaris
Arise, awake, and stop not until the goal is achieved. Swami Vivekananda Click to tweet
The past is gone, never to come back. Whatever you did or could not do is history; you cannot go back in time to do or undo it. Brooding on the past is futile, so is being anxious about future. Focus on what you can do in the present because the present is creating your future. @TheAncientSage
You either waste your time and energy multitasking , or you can focus all your resources on a single task and win big. But before you commit to that single task you must choose it with care otherwise it too will be a waste. Focus is power. Harness it and you can move mountains. @TheAncientSage
You can accomplish anything if you can: 1) prioritize ruthlessly 2) control your attention. Both of these have become particularly hard in the present age. As such those who can control these two critical factors will rule the world. @TheAncientSage
That’s been one of my mantras – focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains. Steve Jobs
To leave the distracted masses to join the focused few, I’m arguing, is a transformative experience. Cal Newport (Deep Work)
Human beings, it seems, are at their best when immersed deeply in something challenging. Cal Newport (Deep Work)
The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. Optimal experience is thus something that we make happen. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience)
All great achievements are the result of sustained focus over time – all of them. Gary Keller
Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself. Mark Twain
More positive quotes
Funny And Surprising Focus Quotes
If you chase two rabbits, both will escape. Russian proverb Click to tweet
Nothing interferes with my concentration. You could put on an orgy in my office and I wouldn’t look up. Well, maybe once. Isaac Asimov
Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there. Josh Billings
Sometimes success is 3% brains and 97% not getting distracted by the Internet. Shane Parrish
Teens think listening to music helps them concentrate. It doesn’t. It relieves them of the boredom that concentration on homework induces. Marilyn vos Savant (See also: inspirational quotes for teens)
Multitasking is merely the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a time. Steve Uzzell
Don’t watch the clock; Do what it does. Keep going. Sam Levenson
More funny quotes
Deep Focus Quotes
It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about? Henry David Thoreau Click to tweet
Keep the focus of your life in the here and now. Caroline Myss
Games are won by players who focus on the playing field – not by those whose eyes are glued to the scoreboard. Warren Buffett
What you focus on with your thought and feeling is what you attract into your experience. Rhonda Byrne
Concentrate on your task, right here, right now. Trust that if you do your best now, eventually, the law of compounding will act in your favor. Maxime Lagacé
Most people think that intelligence is about brain, where really it’s about focus. Genius is just attention to a subject until it becomes specific. Esther Hicks
If you don’t take the time to focus on what matters, then you’re living a life of someone else’s design. Tony Robbins
Old George Orwell got it backward. Big Brother isn’t watching. He’s singing and dancing. He’s pulling rabbits out of a hat. Big Brother’s busy holding your attention every moment you’re awake. He’s making sure you’re always distracted. He’s making sure you’re fully absorbed. He’s making sure your imagination withers. Until it’s as useful as your appendix. He’s making sure your attention is always filled. And this being fed, it’s worse than being watched. With the world always filling you, no one has to worry about what’s in your mind. With everyone’s imagination atrophied, no one will ever be a threat to the world. Chuck Palahniuk
If we focus on what’s ugly, we attract more ugliness into our thoughts, and then into our emotions, and ultimately into our lives. Wayne Dyer
Your mind isn’t unfocused. It’s just focused on something that another part of your mind want’s it to be focused on. This creates self-conflict. Naval Ravikant
This may be the last generation that has a powerful tool like the Internet, and the focused attention span to do deep work. Naval Ravikant
The news allows you to dedicate massive amounts of energy and attention to things you probably cannot impact while the things you can impact go unaddressed. @TheStoicEmperor
Reaction is the enemy of creation. Creation requires deep sustained focus. This focus is under constant attack by “notifications” that encourage you to respond to unending false emergencies. Protect your attention and direct it to where it is most valuable. @TheStoicEmperor
Your attention has real economic value. How much of that value are you capturing? How much is being captured by Facebook, or Netflix, or CNN? Your attention has value to others. It should be priceless to you. Don’t give it away carelessly. @TheStoicEmperor
In today’s society, independent thinking is revolutionary activity where the human mind is bombarded with commercial aspirations. Thibaut
Be on guard. The road widens, and many of the detours are seductive. David Foster Wallace Click to tweet
You: Stares at a blue light emitting screen all day. Never gets sunlight. Sleeps 6 hours a night. Never meditates. Does not pre-allocate your time. Also you: “Why can’t I focus on anything for more than 20 minutes?” Life Math Money
In an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes. What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it. Herbert A. Simon
Bring the mind into sharp focus and make it alert so that it can immediately intuit truth, which is everywhere. The mind must be emancipated from old habits, prejudices, restrictive thought processes and even ordinary thought itself. Bruce Lee (Tao of Jeet Kune Do)
Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life. Eckhart Tolle
Observe things as they are and don’t pay attention to other people. Huang Po
The greatest challenge is to control oneself. Kazi Shams
More deep quotes
See also: Focus: The Ultimate Guide on How to Improve Focus and Concentration (jamesclear.com) or Why The Most Productive People Do These Six Things Every Day (fastcompany.com)
Wise Focus Quotes (Words Of Wisdom)
Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. Zig Ziglar Click to tweet
Focus on the solution, not on the problem. Jim Rohn
Stop managing your time. Start managing your focus. Robin Sharma
If you try to do too much, you will not achieve anything. Confucius
The faster and busier things get, the more we need to build thinking time into our schedule. And the noisier things get, the more we need to build quiet reflection spaces in which we can truly focus. Greg McKeown
People who can focus, get things done. People who can prioritize, get the right things done. John Maeda
I learned long ago to focus on things you can control and don’t even pay attention to things you don’t. Bryan Cranston
At any given time, when you’re walking down the streets, a very small percentage of your brain is focused on the present. The rest is future planning or regretting the past. That’s keeping you from an incredible experience. It’s keeping you from seeing the beauty in everything and for being grateful for where you are. Naval Ravikant
They will all ask for your time and attention. Learning to say no will be your superpower. Maxime Lagacé
There are times you’ll need to be wide open. There are times you’ll need to narrowly focused. Choose your perspective wisely. Maxime Lagacé
Just focus on the one or two really really important things, and everything else, just surrender to it. Naval Ravikant
When you slow down, you can focus better. It’s hard to focus if you’re moving to fast. Leo Babauta Click to tweet
One must say yes in order to develop. The young can benefit from saying yes to everything. Novel experiences reveal unknown talents and inclinations. Experience also reveals that many “opportunities” are only a chance to trade your time away. One must say no in order to focus. @TheStoicEmperor
Note when your attention drifts. Note what it drifts to. Identify what you find instinctively captivating. This may be valuable information about what you are capable of focusing deeply on. @TheStoicEmperor
Focus on what you control. Your habits. Your responses. Your ability to learn. Your ability to think. These are controllable and give you massive tailwinds. Shane Parrish
It’s not the chatter of people around us that is the most powerful distractor, but rather the chatter of our own minds. Utter concentration demands these inner voices be stilled. Daniel Goleman (Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence)
Make sure every day you do what matters most. When you know what matters most, everything makes sense. When you don’t know what matters most, anything makes sense. Gary Keller
It’s not always that we need to do more but rather that we need to focus on less. Nathan W. Morris
More wisdom quotes
See also: Three Ways Meditation Boosts Your Focus (mindful.org) or Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World (Amazon Book)
And finally, here’s Yuval Noah Harari (Sapiens) on one the benefits of meditation:
First of all, it’s the ability to focus. When you train the mind to focus on something like the breath, it also gives you the discipline to focus on much bigger things and to really tell the difference between what’s important and everything else. (Check this interview for more)
Part 3. Focus Quotes About…
Quotes About Staying Focused, Attention, Concentration
The ability to stay focused will be the superpower of the 21st century. Cal Newport Click to tweet
To be concentrated means to live fully in the present. Erich Fromm
Focus all your attention and energy on the achievement of the objectives you are involved with right now. Denis Waitley
In this modern age, being able to stay focused on one thing for an extended period of time is what will separate you from the rest. Maxime Lagacé
The time that leads to mastery is dependent on the intensity of our focus. Robert Greene
Attention is the most mispriced asset on the planet. People give it away for nothing online, and tech companies resell it for a fraction of its value. Johnny Uzan
Most people focus too much on what’s going to happen next, and not enough on what’s happening now. Marianne Williamson
The artists who endure are the ones who stay focused even after they have reached the top of their profession. Simon Cowell
Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed. Paulo Coelho
The things you give your attention to are shaping you, even if you are only reacting against them. They are modulating your mood and filling your head with fantasy scenarios. Pay attention to what you’re paying attention to. Become conscious of your focus and guide it. @TheStoicEmperor
Modern tech allows us access to so many voices. You have to turn them off sometimes if you want to be able to hear yourself think. @TheStoicEmperor
It is fruitless to look back and wish you had used your time differently. That kind of narcissism was what wasted so much time in the first place. Learn your lesson. Don’t wallow. Don’t relive the past. Turn your attention to the present. @TheStoicEmperor
The past is a memory, the future an illusion. Every moment is the only reality and each deserves our full attention. Thibaut
If your attention-span is a muscle, meditation is exercise. Eric Barker Click to tweet
Learn to maintain your attention span – just as the 99% are losing this ability to social media and on demand entertainment, you should be gaining it. Life Math Money
Attention works much like a muscle. Use it poorly and it can wither; work it well and it grows. Daniel Goleman (Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence)
It feels like we’re going through life in a state of “continuous partial attention”. We’re there but not really there. Unaware of where we place our attention. Unconscious about how we live. Shane Parrish
The power of concentration is the only key to the treasure-house of knowledge. Swami Vivekananda
The field of consciousness is tiny. It accepts only one problem at a time. Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The more you focus, the more that focus becomes a habit. Charles Duhigg
You need to be doing fewer things for more effect instead of doing more things with side effects. Gary Keller
See also: confidence quotes
See also: The 6-Step Process To Train Your Brain To Focus or 9 brain foods that will improve your focus and concentration
Quotes About Focus, Calm, Inner Stillness
Keep it simple and focus on what matters. Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed. Confucius Click to tweet
In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. Deepak Chopra Click to tweet
When you focus on just one thing at a time, without rushing or procrastinating, you cultivate a sense of timeless awareness that creates feelings of calm and well-being. Deepak Chopra
Staying calm is not easy, but it’s worth practicing it. The more calm you’ll be in any given situation, the more just your action will be. Maxime Lagacé
Stop caring what other people think and focus on being the best version of yourself possible. Shane Parrish
Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward, toward finding the answer. Denis Waitley
Not everything requires a response. This is truth for many things in life and almost everything in the news. @TheStoicEmperor
People fear the places the undistracted mind might wander too. Much of what people describe as boredom is in fact a fear of stillness. Distraction lets us fill our minds with other voices so we don’t have to listen to the inner voice that whispers truths we fear to confront. @TheStoicEmperor
Most people seek a crowd to escape from themselves. Very few crave solitariness so that they may find a permanent dwelling and live in peace. When you find yourself, you have arrived home. Now nothing can tempt you away. Now even when you are in a crowd, you will not be lost. @TheAncientSage
Restore your attention or bring it to a new level by dramatically slowing down whatever you’re doing. Sharon Salzberg
You have a very powerful mind that can make anything happen as long as you keep yourself centered. Wayne Dyer
See also: simplicity quotes, meditation quotes
Focus Quotes About Clarity, Having A Clear Mind, Vision
Know what you want. Clarity is power. And vague goals promote vague results. Robin Sharma Click to tweet
Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not. Cal Newport (Deep Work)
Less mental clutter means more mental resources available for deep thinking. Cal Newport (Deep Work)
Meditation helps concentration of the mind. Then the mind is free from thoughts and is in the meditated form. Ramana Maharshi
Gather all the information you can, work like hell on it, then take a break. Walk, meditate, journal, sleep, nap. By taking a step back, you’ll gain clarify and a new perspective. Maxime Lagacé
The more clarity you achieve, the more you will find that the universe is on your side, supporting your thoughts and intentions. Therefore, focus on clarity, not on getting results. The results will come according to their own rhythm and timing. Deepak Chopra
Short-term thinking makes people desperate, ungenerous, impulsive. Long-term thinking makes people calm, gracious, controlled. The mighty pyramids and cathedrals were built by civilizations with a long time horizon, so it is with the life of a great man. @TheStoicEmperor
A valuable long term mission can easily be derailed by emotionally loaded (but ultimately meaningless) short term drama. Focus on what matters. @TheStoicEmperor
Time spent undistracted and alone, in self-examination, journaling, meditation, resolves the unresolved and takes us from mentally fat to fit. Naval Ravikant
The more your mind is occupied by involuntary thoughts, the less working memory is available, which means less cognitive processing power. For your cognitive machinery to work at its optimal capacity, you must clear it of unwanted data, and free up more mental space. @TheAncientSage
Once you have clarity that something does not deserve your time and attention, be ruthless. Bharat Shah
It’s very important that we re-learn the art of resting and relaxing. Not only does it help prevent the onset of many illnesses that develop through chronic tension and worrying; it allows us to clear our minds, focus, and find creative solutions to problems. Thich Nhat Hanh
Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what he loves. Blaise Pascal
Prioritizing sharpens your vision so you can focus on the most important things. Myles Munroe Click to tweet
A clear vision, backed by definite plans, gives you a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power. Brian Tracy
You must first clearly see a thing in your mind before you can do it. Alex Morrison
Clarity affords focus. Thomas Leonard
See also: trust quotes, hope quotes
See also: How to Get Your Brain to Focus on What Matters
Focus Quotes About Work, Productivity, Creativity
Focus on being productive instead of busy. Tim Ferriss Click to tweet
When you work, work. When you play, play. Don’t mix the two. Jim Rohn
What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur? It takes willingness to learn, to be able to focus, to absorb information, and to always realize that business is a 24/7 job where someone is always out there to kick your ass. Mark Cuban
Focus on important over urgent. Naval Ravikant
Time spent mastering the basics is time well spent. @TheStoicEmperor
Increasingly, only the obsessed can resist the siren song of low-level distraction and “entertainment” that they’re inundated with. Obsessive interest makes deep attention not just possible, but impossible to turn off. That has downsides, but produces stunning productivity. @TheStoicEmperor
Be more productive this week: 1. Stay smart. Regular 5 minute break to re-focus. 2. You can’t do everything. Do what is highest pay-off. 3. Batch process similar activities. 4. Keep meetings short with minimum number of participants. 5. Go home at a decent time and forget work. Thibaut
Instead of asking how many tasks you can tackle given your working hours, ask how many you can ditch given what you must do to excel. Morten Hansen (Great at Work)
A major stimulant to creative thinking is focused questions. There is something about a well-worded question that often penetrates to the heart of the matter and triggers new ideas and insights. Brian Tracy
Intense concentration sparks all kinds of ideas. Robert Greene
You need two skills to produce quality work: the ability to choose the right thing to work on and the ability to work on that thing until it’s done. Maxime Lagacé
If it is time to rest, rest completely. A good rest rejuvenates you so that you may do quality work. If it is time to work, work with complete focus. Time spent working earnestly earns you a well deserved rest. Don’t mix work and rest; this compromises the quality of both. @TheAncientSage
To the extent possible, ruthlessly shave away the unnecessary tasks, priorities, meetings, and BS. Put all your effort into the projects that really matter. Shane Parrish (More in this quote here on fs.blog)
Focus on tiny gains, not exponential ones. Tiny gains over time compound over time. Focusing on day one exponential leaps is a recipe for disaster. Shane Parrish (On habits)
Your goal is to find a few intelligent things to do, not do every damn thing that comes across your desk. Shane Parrish
Time is limited. If you are to learn focus on what 1) is narrow and specific and gives you and edge; and 2) what does not change with time. Shane Parrish
Focus on doing the right things instead of a bunch of things. Mike Krieger
If you don’t produce, you won’t thrive — no matter how skilled or talented you are. Cal Newport (Deep Work)
Two core abilities for thriving in the new economy 1. The ability to quickly master hard things. 2. The ability to produce at an elite level, in terms of both quality and speed. Cal Newport (Deep Work)
Great creative minds think like artists but work like accountants. David Brooks
The ability to concentrate and to use time well is everything. Lee Iacocca Click to tweet
Extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus. Gary Keller (The ONE Thing)
Your work life is divided into two distinct areas – what matters most and everything else. You will have to take what matters to the extremes and be okay with what happens to the rest. Professional success requires it. Gary Keller
Do less. Cut back on your projects, on your task list, on how much you try to do each day. Focus not on quantity but quality. Pick 2-3 important things — or even just one important thing — and work on those first. Save smaller, routine tasks for later in the day, but give yourself time to focus. Leo Babauta
Focus on fewer but higher-impact tasks. Leo Babauta
See also: creativity quotes, knowledge quotes
See also: 16 Tips for Getting 90 Percent of Your Work Done Before Lunch or 13 Ways to Beat Distractions and Stay Focused at Work
Focus Quotes About Leadership, Business
Do first things first – and second things not at all. Peter F. Drucker Click to tweet
The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do. Michael Porter
When starting out a business, say yes more often. Later, say no more often. Maxime Lagacé
Without focusing and getting to clarity you cannot lead. You cannot motivate. You cannot plan. You cannot communicate. Bobb Biehl
In business, staying focused requires that you turn most opportunities down. Margaret Heffernan
Directing attention toward where it needs to go is a primal task of leadership. Daniel Goleman (Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence)
When you focus on problems, you get more problems. When you focus on possibilities, you have more opportunities. Zig Ziglar
Change your focus from making money to serving more people. Serving people makes the money come in. Robert T. Kiyosaki
Rich people focus on what they want, while poor people focus on what they don’t want. T. Harv Eker
We believe in saying no to thousands of projects so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us. Tim Cook (Apple)
The art of leadership is saying No, not saying Yes. It is very easy to say Yes. Tony Blair Click to tweet
To get exponential returns, forget learning the latest thing. Instead, focus on what lasts. Shane Parrish
If you are customer focused, you’re proactive. If you are competitor focused, you’re reactive. Shane Parrish
Competition is a distraction. Customer focus beats competitor focus. Naval Ravikant
The best companies are those with a laser focus. They do less, but they do it better. Leo Babauta
Forget about finding your passion. Instead, focus on finding big problems. Mark Cuban
More leadership quotes, money quotes
Focus Quotes About Discipline, Determination, Patience
If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. Fred DeVito Click to tweet
Discipline is remembering what you want. David Campbell
My only ritual is to just sit down and write, write every day. Augusten Burroughs
Most of the big things you want in life are on the other side of short-term pains. Maxime Lagacé
Some will try to use their willpower to discipline. Others will simply change their environment. Maxime Lagacé
To simply wait and be bored has become a novel experience in modern life, but from the perspective of concentration training, it’s incredibly valuable. Cal Newport (Deep Work)
The less delayed your gratifications, the less long term your mind will orient itself. Michael
Effective action begins with the reduction of ineffective action. You can’t do anything if you are trying to do everything. We are limited in energy and attention. The world is chaotic and very complex. Every choice is a sacrifice. Choose consciously. @TheStoicEmperor
The Internet offers unlimited access to high value information and low value distraction. It is as good as your self-control. Make it serve you. Don’t serve it. @TheStoicEmperor
The Internet provides access to an education that the aristocracy of old couldn’t have imagined. It also provides the perfect attack vector for marketers to exploit cognitive vulnerabilities and dominate your attention. A world-class education is free for the undistractable. @TheStoicEmperor
Have a sense of urgency and commitment — what you do you must do well, with all of your energy, not with a mind shooting off in a hundred direction. Robert Greene
You cannot have everything in the present. The road to mastery requires patience. You will have to keep your focus on five or ten years down the road, when you will reap the rewards of your efforts. The process of getting there, however, is full of challenges and pleasures. Robert Greene
Sleep as much as you need. 7 – 9 hours, every day. Anything less than that and there’s going to be a cognitive cost. Less focus, bad memory, more mistakes. Life Math Money
No fine work can be done without concentration and self-sacrifice and toil and doubt. Max Beerbohm Click to tweet
Focusing on one thing means putting other things aside. It means not waiting until the last-second to do an important project or read an important paper, using the last-minute crunch to force you to focus. Shane Parrish
To accomplish something great you need to focus each and every day. More than that, you need strategies to protect your time and energy. Shane Parrish
Along with a strong belief in your own inner voice, you also need laser-like focus combined with unwavering determination. Larry Flynt
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. Abraham Lincoln
More patience quotes, strength quotes
See also: How to Discipline Yourself With 10 Habits
Focus Quotes About Goals, Success
The first requisite for success is to develop the ability to focus. Thomas A. Edison Click to tweet
Concentrate on a single goal, a single task, and beat it into submission. Robert Greene
In order to master a field, you must love the subject and feel a profound connection to it. Your interest must transcend the field itself and border on the religious. Robert Greene
Efficiency and focus are the keys to success. Robert Crais
Review your goals twice every day in order to be focused on achieving them. Les Brown
Cut your excuses in half and double your actions around your goals. Robin Sharma
Achieve self-mastery over your thoughts, and constantly direct them toward your goals and objectives. Learn to focus your attention on the goals that you want to achieve and on finding ways to achieve those goals. Napoleon Hill
One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved. One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one’s greatest efforts. Albert Einstein
Goal-setting is powerful because it provides focus. It shapes our dreams. It gives us the ability to hone in on the exact actions we need to perform to achieve everything we desire in life. Jim Rohn
By thinking about your goals every morning, many times during the day, and every night, you begin moving toward it, and bringing it toward you. Bob Proctor
Your real work is to decide what you want and then to focus upon it. For it is through focusing upon what you want that you will attract it. Esther Hicks
If you want to reach your goals and dreams, you cannot do it without discipline. Lee Kuan Yew Click to tweet
Focus on the day-to-day not the outcome. Outcomes take care of themselves. Shane Parrish
Remember: goals can be useful to achieve things but they can also make you feel miserable. Instead, build good habits. Maxime Lagacé
If our goal is to create, to produce amazing things, to go for quality over quantity, then rushing is not the most effective way to work. Slowing down and focusing is always more effective. Leo Babauta
Discovering what you really want saves you endless confusion and wasted energy. Stuart Wilde
For a person to become deeply involved in any activity it is essential that he knows precisely what tasks he must accomplish, moment by moment. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
People work better when they know what the goal is and why. It is important that people look forward to coming to work in the morning and enjoy working. Elon Musk (Tesla)
A goal without a plan is just a wish. Antoine de Saint-Exupery
See also: failure quotes, success quotes
See also: 10 Ways To Stay Ridiculously Focused On Your Goals
Focus Quotes About Distractions, Lack Of Focus, Multitasking
Stay focused, ignore the distractions, and you will accomplish your goals much faster. Joel Osteen Click to tweet
Distractions are eating away the prime of your life. You probably know this vaguely but don’t realize it deeply enough to take action. @TheAncientSage
In ancient times having power meant having access to data. Today having power means knowing what to ignore. Yuval Noah Harari
I don’t have a smartphone. My attention is one of the most important resources I have, and the smartphone is constantly trying to grab my attention. There’s always something coming in. Yuval Noah Harari
Corporations are using tech to reprogram you into a dependent consumer. Use tech to transform yourself into an independent producer. Johnny Uzan
Your time, focus and attention are your most valuable assets. That’s why companies try to trick you with drama. Stay alert. Maxime Lagacé
One way to boost our will power and focus is to manage our distractions instead of letting them manage us. Daniel Goleman
Multitasking divides your attention and leads to confusion and weakened focus. Deepak Chopra
Mindfulness creates centered awareness. When you do one thing at a time, you’re guaranteed excellent results. If you do too many things simultaneously, it messes up your neural circuits. Deepak Chopra
Once the Internet came along, I think it destroyed everyone’s attention span. Now all of humanity’s works are available to you at any given time and you’re being interrupted constantly. Our attention span goes down, our ability to focus goes down. Naval Ravikant
Distractions secretly steal the most precious thing you have in your life – Time. Kunal
The average American watches over 30 hours of television a week. How many would say they have a project they’d love to do if only they “had the time?” @TheStoicEmperor
Modern humans overdose on information, pushing the limits of our design constraints. Future humans will adopt filtering mechanisms to avoid drowning in random data. They’ll look back on us with pity. Attention pollution is a huge drain on our collective intellectual resources. @TheStoicEmperor
We evolved in environments where it made sense to overreact to every threat. A lion in the grass requires an immediate reaction. Strike or be struck. Our threat detection systems are not designed for modern life and are easily exploited by cynical marketers and propagandists. @TheStoicEmperor
If you are easily provoked you are easily controlled. @TheStoicEmperor Click to tweet
Social media is very positive and profitable for a narrow set of people at the top of the distribution and is likely a net negative for almost everyone else. Most haven’t developed the skills to use it well. It captures a lot of attention and emotion for generally little reward. @TheStoicEmperor
Mobile phones should be called distraction machines. Checking your distraction machine first thing in the morning is not the ideal way to start your day. Muneed Ali
Entertainment hubs masquerading as productivity devices – the perfect combo. Naval Ravikant (On mobile devices)
E-mail isn’t free. It seems free. It feels free. Thibaut
Pollution can be smog from a factory or mental filth from mass media generated ideals. Thibaut
Public attention is actually a nuisance and a distraction. Robert Greene
Too many people believe that everything must be pleasurable in life, which makes them constantly search for distractions and short-circuits the learning process. Robert Greene
What if you stopped listening to news or “current affairs”? Surely for most people it’ll bring a positive change in their life. Instead of the temporary, focus on the timeless which is always relevant. What is current is not necessarily important/relevant. Often it is just noise. @TheAncientSage
Deep thinking demands sustaining a focused mind. The more distracted we are, the more shallow our reflections; likewise, the shorter our reflections, the more trivial they are likely to be. Daniel Goleman (Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence)
In life, drama is glamorized and used to usurp our attention. Advantages in life, however, are not based on drama but rather are the byproduct of doing mundane things every day really well without losing focus. Shane Parrish
Focus is like a muscle. And if you’re like most people, your focus muscles have gotten weak due to your constant multitasking, web-surfing, and busy-working. Shane Parrish
Information diets are “additive through subtraction”, like literal diets. Don’t focus on what you should consume but on what you shouldn’t. Michael
If you want to win the war for attention, don’t try to say ‘no’ to the trivial distractions you find on the information smorgasbord; try to say ‘yes’ to the subject that arouses a terrifying longing, and let the terrifying longing crowd out everything else. Cal Newport (Deep Work)
Once you’re wired for distraction, you crave it. Cal Newport (Deep Work)
Don’t take breaks from distraction. Instead take breaks from focus. Cal Newport (Deep Work)
To succeed with deep work you must rewire your brain to be comfortable resisting distracting stimuli. Cal Newport (Deep Work)
Keep things simple, focused and effective by single-tasking. Leo Babauta
Until my ONE thing is done, everything else is a distraction. Gary Keller (The ONE Thing)
See also: education quotes
See also: 4 easy tactics for getting your attention span back
Part 5. Conclusion
What you focus on grows, what you think about expands, and what you dwell upon determines your destiny. Robin Sharma Click to tweet
Call to action: Read The Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Focus or Three Little Habits to Find Focus (If you are just starting out with focus)
Table Of Contents
Part 1
Top 15 Images
Best Focus Quotes
Part 2
Focus Quotes That ARE
Famous
Short
Inspirational
Funny
Deep
Wise
Part 3
Focus Quotes ABOUT
Staying Focused
Calm
Clarity
Work
Leadership
Discipline
Goals
Distractions
Part 4
Conclusion