I’m easily distracted. I set a goal and find myself thinking about other things and then suddenly I’m doing other things. I have to force myself back to the original goal and all of the supporting tasks required to achieve it.

The new things are interesting, fascinating, and different. I want to deal with new things, not buckle down and finish the old things. I feel the pull.

Truth be told, this article—the one you’re reading right now—is a distraction. I’m supposed to be writing something else. My brain started wandering, and the next thing I knew, I was writing this. It’s tough to stay on track for an hour. It’s nearly impossible to stay on track for a decade.

But if you’re going to win in this law game, you’ve got to stay on track. Your focus needs to last a lot longer than an hour.

The Poster Child of No Focus

I know a guy who practiced in one state. The practice was going pretty well. Then, out of the blue, he picked up and moved to another state. He hit the reset button and started over.

This guy picked a practice area in his new state and started growing that practice. Then, worried that he’d made a bad choice, he picked another practice area. Then, worried that he’d made another bad choice, he dropped the new practice area.

Now, he’s back to the original practice area and he’s also adding a business on the side. This guy changes focus like I change my Fruit of the Loom underwear (from Target at $7.99 for a package of three: a very sweet deal).

He’s been on this herky-jerky path for about seven years, and he’s still struggling to earn what he’d like. Imagine where he’d be if he’d spent those years building one practice in one place. With the energy this guy has, he’d be killing it. Instead, he’s worrying about money.

Distractions Are Public Enemy No. 1

I fully understand the temptation to jump to something new. I’m always feeling pulled away by my wandering brain. It’s essential, however, to pull yourself back. It’s the staying on track that makes things happen in our arena.

We all have our unique distractions:

• For some, it’s starting a practice but always looking at jobs in firms.
• For some, it’s growing a practice but contemplating jobs outside of the law.
• For many of us, it’s the changing practice area thing.
• Personally, I’m perpetually distracted by technology. I could spend months moving my to-do list from one task management system to another.

I rant about focus here with great frequency. Why? Because I’m constantly confronted with the slow progress made by those who succumb to big distractions. They fail to stay on the path. They won’t stick to the plan. And then, they’re surprised when things don’t work out the way they’d like.