The numbers tell a stark truth: A Harvard Business School study found that companies pursuing more than five strategic priorities were 50% less likely to achieve market leadership. Yet the average executive today juggles 12-15 major initiatives.
Consider Apple. Under Steve Jobs’ return in 1997, he slashed their product line from 350 to just 10 items. Within three years, Apple’s stock price soared 1,000%. Now a tech giant, Amazon spent its first seven years selling only books.
The pattern repeats among history’s game-changers. Mozart mastered piano before touching composition. Warren Buffett built 95% of his wealth after age 50, sticking to a singular investment philosophy. Tiger Woods’ childhood consisted of nothing but golf, putting in 8,000 hours before age eight.
The myth of multi-tasking has seduced us into celebrating busy-ness over effectiveness. We wear our scattered attention like a badge of honor, bragging about overflowing inboxes and calendar conflicts.
But true impact demands depth. Cal Newport’s research shows it takes 90 minutes of uninterrupted focus to reach peak cognitive performance. Each distraction resets the clock.
Greatness lives in narrow spaces – in the relentless pursuit of mastering one thing completely. When you go deep enough, the world has no choice but to notice.
Your scattered dreams are keeping you average.