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Focus Thumbnail

Focus

Information is everywhere. We have 24/7 access to information coming from all corners of the globe. The speed at which information travels nowadays is almost instantaneous. Long gone are the days when we would have to wait for the morning newspaper to find out what was going on. How quaint!

I am a strong believer that more information is better than less information. Information is what helps us to make rational and prudent decisions. But often the amount of information that we are bombarded with on a daily basis can be overwhelming, to say the least. It can be like trying to get a sip of water from a fire hose! What information is important to me? And what information should I ignore?

We have a tendency to focus on all the wrong things. We fixate on things that don’t matter, and things that we can’t control. Of course, if it doesn’t matter, focusing on it is pointless; and if we can’t control it, focusing on it is futile.

What would happen if instead of trying to focus on everything, we only focused on the things that really mattered that we can also control? For example, we can’t control the markets, but we can control how we react to the markets. We can’t fix global economic problems, but we can tackle our own financial issues.

This sketch from Carl Richards hits the nail on the head when it comes to where we should place our attention. Ultimately, you have to ask the question: “Does this really matter, and do I actually have control?” Based on the answer, you’ll know whether it's worth your time and energy.