Effectiveness: The Main Thing

I was speaking with a young man recently who has been following my blogs and studying my career track. He was new to the city and looking for some guidance. He laid out four opportunities that he was actively pursuing, then asked me for advice on next steps.

My response was not what he was expecting. I explained that he needed to pick one of those opportunities and spend 80% of his time and effort on it; then he could spread the remaining 20% of his effort across the other three. The young man stared at me blankly for a moment, then continued to explain that he wanted to pursue all four opportunities.

As a seasoned entrepreneur, I have witnessed that ideas come naturally and prolifically to entrepreneurs. Focus remains the biggest challenge; it is the hurdle to success. A wise woman once told me, “Keep the main thing the main thing.” That advice has stuck with me my entire career. This young man had yet to determine what his “main thing” was.

This theme applies even to those who are not entrepreneurs. If you have ever sent out a résumé while still in a job, you probably have realized that in doing so, you have crossed a line. You cannot remain committed to making a job work while simultaneously looking for another one… just as you cannot claim to be starting a new business while still looking for a job. The main thing must be the main thing in order for you to be successful. We cannot serve two masters well.

Michael Jordan was an amazing basketball player. And although he made more money off the court (through endorsements) than on it, he remembered that his “main thing” (basketball) was the reason why he was making that money. He kept the main thing the main thing, and that allowed him to be successful in other areas, too.

I have to make a daily conscious decision to keep my main thing the main thing. TechSoft Systems is my main thing, but my speaking business is my dream. When I try to serve both equally, both suffer. So I am currently focusing on TechSoft Systems, with the aim to make the business less dependent on me. Part of that is a clear strategic plan; and part of that is having the right people in the right places doing the right things. If I take care of that (as my main thing), I will be more free to do that which fulfills my passions, speaking and writing.

After I shared all of this, the young man who had approached me had a quizzical look on his face. Without skipping a beat, he said, “Well, yes, but I want to do all four of these.” I am confident in the abilities of this young man. Once he determines his “main thing,” and gives it the time and attention it deserves, I believe he will be successful. Some people have to learn those lessons on their own.

Clifford Bailey
CEO of TechSoft Systems, Inc.