Focus is Archaic. 'Spread' is The New Mantra

Tuesday July 17, 2012 , 3 min Read

“Focus” – the teacher shouts.

“Focus! Your exams are coming, concentrate on your exams and do not let your creative interests distract you from your exams.”

The parent chides.

As a result, a whole generation of young children has become unipolar in their lifestyle and achievements. Somewhere among them are people who defy such dictates, people who refuse to be products of the X-Y axis and people who defy the ordinary and take the decision to be on their own.

The journey to the victory stand is not to be focused literally on the victory stand but to find your own route and charter your ways. Speed is individual dynamics. You win a race not because you are fast. You win a race because you are the fastest. You are the fastest not because your limb speed is the best. You are the fastest because of a variety of factors including a streamlined body, the physics of your torso, the choice of your shoes, the rhythm of your run etc.

Notice how we mechanically use the expression “etc”. We tend to trivialize contributory factors and bracket multiple factors into a nameless basket. This is a product of “Focus”. Order for a ‘thali’ in an Indian restaurant, resultingly you can play with multiple combinations. MNC retail food outlets promise combos which do not give you space but price your eat at a convenient rate. In contrast, your thali is a journey you discover, you enjoy, you have a host of alternatives to choose from and savor.

This is true about life also. Placing too many eggs in a single basket is a bad idea. Multi-tasking is not nearly an alternate model. It is also a challenge full of pitfalls. Practically speaking, multi-tasking gives you the opportunity to look at various alternatives and revise your priorities without being hampered by an uninformed decision-making process or a commitment based on imagination.

You may be a good teacher but if your knowledge in the same field can get you greater success as a professional and there be no intrinsic conflict between the two then you must be able to carry on with it. In short, you carry on with the parallel entrepreneurship. To run on parallel lines is no longer about sitting on two stools. It is about choosing to walk on parallel lines rather than walking a rope, doing a tight rope walk. The internal space and balance projects healthier alternatives, more working space and great opportunities.

Play with alternatives; contribute passionately to each of them. The resultant product may be far more promising and gainful. Multiply the space of your entrepreneurial skills. The playfield becomes larger. As a result, there will be not one, but multiple victory stands.

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