People say, “You’ve got to be Balanced.” Particularly when offering advice to people who are setting big goals, who are making waves, who look like they might be actually making things happen.
“You’ve got to be Balanced” sets off my BS buzzer every time.
Balance results in trying to do too much.
Balance is spreading thin.
Balance is ‘competence’ across the board.
Balance is disproportionate amounts of resources spent on weaknesses.
Focus is about achievements.
Focus is about choosing… about sacrificing something else.
Focus creates results in key areas.
It’s about playing to strengths.
It’s about imbalance.
‘Getting to The Top’ requires focus… a set of achievements long the way, whatever your ‘Top’ is.
‘Top’ athletes know this.
‘Top’ musicians. ‘Top’ business people. ‘Top’ people in all fields of endeavour. All know this.
Sure, you want to ensure the most important parts of your life are attended to, and not just your professional achievements.
Sure, you must make time and space, and energy for ‘smelling the roses’.
You know that. I know it.
But that’s not about balance.
That’s about knowing what’s important to you.
Your version of ‘balance’ will be different to everyone else’s, just as your ‘Top’ will be different to everyone else’s.
So, next time someone says you must be more balanced, that’s their value judgement, not yours.
Being focused is about having those foundations in place that allow you to be ‘imbalanced’. Foundations of values, goals, mission, purpose. These foundations mean that you can be focused and imbalanced, and ‘get to the top’ without falling down.