“Focus cannot be underestimated. I think that is a reason why some of the smartest people don’t become successful; they have a hard time focusing.” – Cyrus Massoumi

When Google’s Larry Page asked Steve Jobs for advice before he passed, his advice to Page was, “Don’t get distracted. Focus.”

Every day we must face so many distractions and each one has the potential to take our focus and profits away. Learning how to focus is not a skill that many of us have – you must teach yourself how to do it.

From now on, start each work day by asking yourself one simple question – what is my top focus today? Write your answer down (I recommend using this free template as a starting point) and remind yourself every hour through a timer (like on your phone) to focus on that one thing through the entire work day.

Do this exercise every single work day for a full six weeks and you will not only improve your focus tremendously (and see the benefits from doing so) but you will also realize how unfocused you have really been. When traders I have been privileged to closely mentor have done this exercise, each and every single one have reported back that it was a worthwhile endeavor.