Brian Tracy was once asked in an interview what he thought was the single most important skill a person had to learn for maximum success. Of course there are many such skills, but if he could only pick one, which would he choose?

His answer was very simple. It was this: The ability to focus on one specific task or project and keep working on it until it’s all done. In other words, focus. Not just a general focus on one area though, but a focus on completion. He said of all the skills you could master in business and in life, this one skill was by far the most important.

I have heard from several success gurus that people of lower talent and lower intelligence can achieve far more than those with more talent and intellect because they have the ability to focus and complete things.

Over my 25 year business career, I have worked with literally over a thousand people in one capacity or another, and I have seen the exact same thing.

I have seen extremely intelligent and talented people spin their wheels and get no where in life or constantly deal with self-imposed problems and chaos. I have also seen complete morons accomplish some really amazing, impressive things with their lives.

The difference? The ability to stick with something, one thing, until it’s all done. I know a lot of smart people who constantly bounce from one thing to the next, quickly getting excited and then bored of every new thing they try. I also know mediocre people who focus.

Guess which group tends to be more successful? The focused ones.

Guess which group tends to be happy more often? The focused ones.

If you’re trying to narrow down the most important skill for success, now you know: the ability to stick with one thing and finish it.

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