âPeople think focus means saying yes to the thing youâve got to focus on. But thatâs not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. Iâm actually as proud of the things we havenât done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.â
Steve Jobs
Having worked at Pixar in Systems, I know that Steve practiced what he preached. My boss reported directly to Steve, so he communicated with Jobs at least two to three times a month. Erik would occasionally call me into his office with a scowl on his face. I would usually mutter, "Hey Erik, what's up?" In what seemed like a temporary tantrum, he spun his computer screen at me and said in a fit, "James it took me months to develop this idea, three days to write and finally send Steve the email. Look at his damned reply," he barked. I saw two words and a period. Quotes added by me.
âNo.
Steveâ
Steve was pointing to a reality many of us find ourselves in if we arenât careful. Yup, overwhelm. You know that feeling when your to-do list is a mile long, and you're drowning in a sea of tasks? It's like trying to eat an entire pizza by yourself â overwhelming and kind of scary. But guess what? You don't have to do this alone. If you ask for help, you might be surprised at the willingness of others to help.
I recall during my time working for Pixar, that my boss and I had lunch every Friday at the Pixar cafe. It was located next to the giant atrium that divides the main building into two separate areas. On one of those Fridays, I asked my boss about the design of the building and was particularly interested in the football field-sized atrium. He said, âOh the atrium was Steveâs idea.â I came to understand later that since Steve wasnât a part of the filmmaking process, he made it a point to take charge of the design of the Emeryville campus.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pixar_Animation_Studios_Atrium.jpg?embedable=true
Having worked for both of his companies, I can say this with confidence. There were two areas in which Steve Jobs was brilliant. He picked the best humans for the task at hand and surrounded himself with them, and he believed that when talent meets collaboration the result is beyond anything mere mortals can imagine. The atrium was there to make this possible. Almost every day I would randomly bump into a fellow employee from another department and we would swap stories about what we were working on and the triumphs and challenges faced. Almost assuredly out of that exchange solutions were shared and something magical occurred. The particular problem I was facing changed because I had new information. I canât tell you how many times I would return to my desk, sit down, hop on the computer, and with this new information in hand, I would solve the problem in 5 minutes. This happened all the time and it blew my mind.
Adam B. Varey, in an article on BuzzFeed, writes, âEd Catmull, one of the founders of Pixar, was quoted as saying, 'Since Steve didn't make our movies, the building itself became his project.' Craig Payne, who happens to be a good friend of mine, said about Jobs, 'He was involved in every detail of this building, down to the door handles of the offices.'"
Prioritizing isnât just about checking boxes; itâs about focusing on what truly matters. Imagine being a superhero â you canât save the world all at once, right? You have to pick your battles. Thatâs where prioritization comes in.
Letâs break it down.
The 80/20 Rule: Your Secret Weapon
Ever noticed that a tiny part of your work gives you the biggest results? Thatâs the 80/20 rule in action. Itâs like finding that one amazing pair of jeans that makes you feel confident â you wanna wear âem all the time. So, focus on the tasks that pack the biggest punch. It's gonna feel tough at first, but trust me, the payoff is huge.
One Thing at a Time: Your Superpower
We live in a world that screams âmultitask!â But letâs be honest, trying to do everything at once is like juggling chainsaws. Instead, pick one thing, give it your full attention, and crush it. Itâs like meditating with a purpose. Youâll be amazed at how much you can accomplish when youâre not distracted by a million other things.
Remember, youâre not alone in this. Weâre all trying to figure it out. Celebrate small wins. Practice and learn to say No.