GM. This is Harry. Lighting a fire in your brain so large, Elon can see it from his new Starship rocket.

It’s…Storytime

Deep in the forest, among the cedar trees in the Pacific Norwest (USA), you’ll find…no one. Nothing. No civilisation. No buildings. And no roads. The air is clear, the water is blue and drinkable, and all you hear are the sounds of the birds during the day, and insects in the night.

But in the shadow of the snow-topped mountain range, below the clouds, you’ll see a two-storey wooden cabin. The kind you’re used to seeing in American movies. Inside this cabin are shelves of books, posters of great thinkers, and comforts for just one person.

And he’s an elusive guy.

Online, he’s a celebrity and you’ll recognise his face anywhere. But if you want to see him, it’s gonna be a little trickier. You’ll have to time it just right, because he’s only there for two weeks every year. One week at a time.

He wears glasses, he’s in his late 60’s and he’s achieved more in his lifetime than most people. The little cabin in the woods is his place to think. No technology, no family or friends, and no connection to the outside world.

His only distractions are books, papers from the top engineers at his company, and his own thoughts.

It’s Gates.

Bill, Gates.

There are plenty of stories of Silicon Valley gurus doing weird things to occupy their time, but this one is one of my favourites. Gates has achieved more than he thought possible, but he still makes a huge effort to escape from the distractions. He values his focus time, and he doesn’t take it lightly.

Seven days without being connected to the internet or other people? Sounds like torture to most – but for those who want to build something great - it’s a breath of fresh air. A distraction-free paradise.

And he’s been doing it for years. He first opened up about it nearly 10 years ago to a journalist from the Wall Street Journal. If you want to read that article, it’s here.

But wait, there’s another one

There’s a similar example from J.K. Rowling, who hired out an expensive hotel room in another town so she could finish the Harry Potter series. She wanted to be isolated from distractions, and writing a book is no joke (especially the final book in the series).

That’s two billionaires who prioritise their focus. 

There are more examples out there, but I want to keep this article under 5 minutes.

And if you want scientific proof - search Chat GPT for scientific articles proving a link between focus and the immediate environment. There are plenty to choose from.

And you know it’s true.

Focus is the new gold. It’s hard to find and it’s hard to keep.

In the corporate world - working from home is not the same as working from the office. Some people thrive in the office, some at work. Not everyone can thrive in both locations.

And for any creative work, you need an environment you can use to your advantage. A space that pushes you past the confines of your ‘box’. For that, you need deep focus and deep thinking.

Musicians know well that it takes time to come up with a new song. Sometimes it takes hours of practice before something new comes out that sounds decent. And it takes weeks, months, and sometimes years to get something that sounds great.

So to be creative, you need to start in a distraction free place.

Here are a few ways to achieve this:

1. Find a café with high ceilings. A big open space where you can bring your laptop or your pen and paper. Whatever you need. Get a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and play some mellow soundtracks on repeat. You don’t want to focus on the music, rather, have it mellow out the background noise while you sip your coffee and create your magnum opus.

2. Find a library and go work in the quiet section. We did this all the time growing up, but most grownups wouldn’t be caught dead at a library. I go all the time. It’s calming and it’s a great place to think. Sit at a couch or a table, and let your creative juices flow.

In Sydney, I love going to the Customs House Library. Their quiet section is soooo nice to work in.

3. Do the hard thing and put your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ AND put it in your bag. Make sure it’s out of reach. Don’t leave it in the same place you always do (like your pocket) because you’ll automatically find yourself pulling it out when you hit a road block.

Finally, whichever place you choose, try making it a place you go to often. You’ll start associating the place with productive and creative work. And it’ll become easier and easier to focus. Plus, if you go to a café, the staff will start remembering your name and coffee order, which is always a plus.

Value it

“We tend to take every precaution to safeguard our material possessions because we know what they cost. But at the same time we neglect things which are much more precious because they don’t come with price tags attached: The real value of things like our eyesight or relationships or freedom can be hidden to us, because money is not changing hands.” - Peter D. Kaufman

Gold is rare. It takes a lot of hard work to locate it and dig through the mud. And we value it because we can SEE it’s worth in dollars.

Well, FOCUS is the same. It’s rare, it takes a lot of hard work to find and it’s even harder to keep.

Just because we can’t put a dollar value on it doesn’t mean it’s not valuable.

Harry

P.S. If you found this valuable, share it with a friend.