Modern life in the 21st century is rich with many possible experiences but it is also very demanding. There is so much to do, so much to take care of and so much to achieve. Almost all of us feel exhausted most of the time.
There is a Russian proverb that goes like “If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.”
You have to focus on one thing at a time.
There can be only one thing that occupies your mind at any given point in time. Especially when you have free time. Paul Graham calls it, the top idea in your mind. What you think about most of the time will have more solutions and results in real life – because you are thinking about it all the time.
You might think you know what is the top idea in your mind, but it could be something else. The best way to find out the top idea in your mind is to check where your thoughts are gravitating towards when you are in the shower.
If you think you should be investing all your time, energy, and money in the growth and success of your career at this point in your life, but if you observe that your thoughts are drifting towards some other things in your life, then you have to do something about it.
You cannot control directly what’s on the top of your mind, but you can control it indirectly. If you eliminate all the unimportant things that are at the top of your mind, the most important thing will automatically raise up.
If you are a startup entrepreneur, your startup should be the top idea in your mind, until you get to a stage where your startup can move on its own wheels. If something else is taking up most of your mind-space, either realize what’s your true priority or focus on what you think should be at the top of your mind.
When you succeed and once your startup has gained some momentum, you can focus on other things in your life. You will have the luxury to put something else at the top of your mind, like personal relationships.
Health need not be a thing at the top of your mind if you have installed good habits into your routine. As long as you keep yourself healthy, your health should never be at the top of your mind. It should be the enabler running in the background.
Health, relationships, and money are the three big areas of your life. Focus on only two at a time, one of which is going to be health, because it is non-negotiable. It is the foundation on which your relationships and wealth can be built.
Weed out things in your life that take mind space but will not yield anything useful. If you have unresolved disputes in your life with people, many times, it takes most of your mind space. Some people have regrets about the choices they’ve made in the past. Some people put too much energy into feeding their fears that might be impractical.
There are many useless thoughts that can accidentally, without your conscious awareness, become the top idea in your mind. You will not be able to identify it unless you spend a lot of time with yourself and observe your thoughts. If you discover that you have something at the top of your mind that is not leading to anything useful in the future, then make a strong decision to close that loop.
A broken heart, someone who cheated you, someone, who did the wrong thing and landed you in trouble. You can be forgiving, not because you want to forgive, but because you are selfish. You are choosy about what thoughts you want to let inside your mind. Only ideas that can change your future are worth having at the top of your mind.
There is an opportunity cost when you are putting your mind to something. Always think about that before you hesitate to weed out things from your mind that you think shouldn’t be there. You are not going to change the past by thinking about it.
You should also be careful about what you are signing up for which might change the top idea in your mind. For example, if your startup’s success is the top idea in your mind and you change your city of residence, get into a new relationship or become a parent, then you are going to risk dropping one of the balls.
Multiple things in your life will fight to become the top idea in your mind, and that can tear you apart. It is unhealthy and unproductive to keep switching the top idea in your mind. None of the ideas will get enough attention to get tangible results. Most of the growth in my startup has come from deep thought and keeping one idea as the top idea in my mind.
I have launched 12 training courses so far in the past 2 years and more than 40% of its revenue has come from a single course – the 100-day blogging course. The idea for this course came to me when I was in the shower.
I was able to come up with a new course idea that worked because the top idea in my mind was – “How do I come up with my next course idea that can create great value in the marketing place and help my business grow?”
Pure, unadulterated focus on one problem at a time. Your career needs intensity at continuous intervals. Intensity needs focus. Focus means, you can see only one thing at a time.
So next time you are in the shower, observe where your thoughts are drifting towards. And you will know what is the top idea in your mind. If the top idea in your mind doesn’t help you achieve your dreams, then try to close the loops on other ideas occupying your mind-space.
There is no way to fail with your career if your career becomes the top idea in your mind.
Where attention goes, energy flows. Where energy flows, change happens.
Thanks for Sharing this Article. I`m Always read you Article. I have need for more knowledge.
Thank you
Very nice. Can we share this
After reading many articles, Finally, I found something which I really need.
Appreciate it. 🙂 🙂
Glad you liked it Sahiba. Stay tuned for more articles.
Awesome sir it’s boosting my thinking about my career…. vidhya from DDIP batch 9
GOOD Article Sir, thanks for giving us,
Startup with the Top Idea in our Mind.
This article will give strength to everyone who is striving to do something out of comfort zone. Thanks for sharing this.
I`m working professional with 7 years of job but I have never seen the great site like this Sir you have Shared a great Article. It is really fantastic site it will make you reach on the top.
Thanks Shiva. Look forward to my other articles.
Really nice article! I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thanks Vina!
amazing article. after reading this I’m gonna surely think of erasing the unwanted things that occupy my mind.
Thank you Santhosh. Glad you liked it!
Thanks for sharing this amazing post.
Very Good Article Deepak. Thanks for your time and efforts.
This is an amazing article . Much needed one sir !!! Thank you for this!
That actually sounds so logical… Finding the Top Idea in the mind and focusing on it. Been actually drifting between few ideas. I am sure this article gave me some clarity on how to get on that One single Top Idea.
After reaiding this article i feel so much motivation ..towards my goals. Thanks for this beautiful article. Glad to read more
Thank you for share this.
Your article brings direction!! Thanks
Superb article…Good inputs on focus..
Whatever you write is execellent. Deepak i learned a lot, due to covid, about digital marketing.
Very Good Article Deepak, Thanks for your time and efforts which helps me to focus on one thing at a time.
Good article sir
Yes!!! Perfectly suitable for these days, I really liked it. worth reading. please keep inspiring us with your powerful words.
Absolutely true, I can not agree more on this. If you are on a EAT SLEEP DRINK mode on a specific task , you will achieve it come what may. I am telling this from my own personal experience.
Even the toughest of the problems will find a solution when you have it at the top of your mind.
Correct…same things happen in my life currently. More & more confused about career. I hope this article will be worth for me….
Thank you…
Hello sir .. it’s really motivationald article.
It’s help to newly started person and professional person .
thank you for writing this article .I really love this one because it inspires me and gives me more inspiration to focus on something great in my life and also how to set up the top idea in my life.
Hi Deepak, nice article as always.
Very nice Article. We usually think useless things most of the time. We need to exchange those thoughts with good thoughts. Thanks for sharing DD.
“I realized recently that what one thinks about in the shower in the morning is more important than I’d thought. I knew it was a good time to have ideas. Now I’d go further: now I’d say it’s hard to do a really good job on anything you don’t think about in the shower.”
http://www.paulgraham.com/top.html
Impressive blog sir thank for the post.
Nice Article
Great! truly thought provoking
Yes indeed a wonderful article. These type of articles help in stirring of thoughts and help in choosing or deciding the best.
Thanks for sharing
I am going to restart my career in the field of “Digital marketing”. I really consider myself fortunate to going to join your internship program in batch 10. This article is really inspiring and boost up the new energy in me. Kindly keep sharing such articles.
I loved this article . I say it as decide what your top priority is, then everything else will be on place. Forgive people for their wrong doing for our peace of mind and secondly they are not worth wasting our time and energy. We have so many great things to do with our life.
It is one of those articles that hit the right person (me) at the right time and created the right needed impact.
Nice article very happy
It’s a good article to open up our minds and focus on the career development.
Really really a awesome article Deepak sir . It’s all I thinks everyday but can’t share with anyone.
Nice to read this article it was et by daily example of living habits and too interesting for searching the truth beyond ourselves thanks for sharing this amazing post.
Thanks for this good read. This certainly will help a lot of people like myself to get a clear vision and understanding of the priorities we should set. Does remind me of the book ” The one thing” by Gary Keller & jay Papasan.
Always looking forward to more insightful articles from you.
Really liked the way you elaborated this topic which is so important for all of us..
Thank u so much for sharing this article sir
Very very nice
Thanks Mr Deepak, it’s an amazing article
Loved it.
I like the way he explained things.
Hi Deepak Sir, The way you think that is extremely innovative. Reading your article is often very inspiring. What’s most surprising to me is how you think that…
I am a very big fan of your Articles. Thank You so much.
It’s great things you wrote about about life and mind capabilities. We should think about this way and it is also a life conciousness. Thank you for great concept that you write down.
If you are wondering whether you have made anyone’s day by this article then definitely count me in. I was struggling with my schedule and I really wanted a clear direction. This small article has brought a great help to me and now I am much more clear about my thoughts. Thank you so much for your help Deepak Sir 🙂
Your article made my day. I was really struggling with my schedule and thoughts and wanted someone to guide me. Now I am much more clear with my thoughts and action plan. Thank you very much for your help Deepak sir 🙂
Fantabulous article. Subject is simply superb and eye opening article, well taught on focus. If strictly adhered duly following this article, definitely mind will be very clear, focus on what is required, achieve the goals. Thank you for nice article and expecting such inspirational and motivational articles much more.
Your emails, articles & contents of twitter are motivational. I’m fascinated by your content inside your realm.
Never met such a person who provides so much valuable contents towards his subscriber.
Thanks & keep going.
Thanks for sharing this Article.
I really liked it.
Thank you for the detailed article on focus and clarity of thoughts. As you rightly pointed out, weeding out useless thoughts is an essential exercise for navigating today’s noisy world.
Sometimes simplest things mean the most..
Thanku so much sir .. I’m eternally grateful
Bless ur generosity.
It’s really nice Article and enjoyed it more. And learned the Strategy for choosing for career in Right way.. Thanks Sir.
Great.. nice article to focus on the career..
Great idea to be focused and let the energy flow to make the change happened.I want to enroll in internship program.
Regards
It’s true that when we sit free and think we always get somthing new that clicked our mind for a fresh start….tnku deepak sir for motivation
Very useful article.
Nice energizing boost up thoughts that is focussing on goal and leaving the unwanted useless thoughts, fears and failure.
Good one, to program proper mindset.
very true…….