What Are You Paying Attention To?

October 10, 2025
Warrick Strydom
business

A former boss and mentor once asked me over a cup of coffee to look into the one corner of the roof at a restaurant we were meeting in. He then told me to look at the corner on the other side of the restaurant – once again I humoured him. Then he asked me “Now focus on both Warrick.” That has stuck with me ever since, you can’t FOCUS on two things at once.

You probably know this saying: What you pay attention to grows. It is a simple truth. So, what are you paying attention to? Is it helping you achieve what you truly want?

When I ask Business owners the question “What are you paying attention to?” they usually answer it right away. They start listing all their tasks. Perhaps you list all your many job titles. You might be the CEO and the Marketing Manager. You could be the Finance Manager and the HR person. The roles seem endless and tiring.

Attention is a scarce and potentially your most valuable commodity. We live in an attention commodity with much competing for your focus daily.

The Danger of Too Many Roles

Every entrepreneur juggling many jobs needs to know this. You cannot truly focus on more than one thing at a time. Ignoring important tasks is dangerous, of course. Yet, there is a hidden trap. If you try to focus on too many things, you actually focus on nothing. Your list of “too many things” just keeps getting longer.

Here is where good judgment becomes vital. You need sharp discernment. What is the one thing you could focus on today? That one action could create meaningful change.

Finding the ONE Thing

What can you safely forget about for now? Don’t forget it forever. Just ignore it long enough to complete your main task. This prevents endless distraction. You must move to the next stage of growth.

We are entering the final quarter of the year. This is a crucial season for business. Many owners start to panic about what hasn’t been attained yet. Others gain clarity about their path forward. They find the single priority that guarantees success next year.

Ask yourself again: What are you paying attention to? Is your focus helping you achieve your goals? A Business Coach can help you find this singular focus. They will ask the confronting questions you need.

Planning for Growth

You need to move your business forward. Stop letting a long to-do list control you. You need to make a tough decision. Choose the one thing that matters most right now. As someone once said “if everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.” Prioritisation is a critical leadership skill.