The Japanese principle that explains why you can't focus anymore

Why Your Brain Feels Like 47 Browser Tabs:

Last week, I had 47 browser tabs open.

3 half-written documents. 14 unread WhatsApp messages. A YouTube video playing at 2x speed while I "worked."

Sound familiar?

We've become professional context-switchers. Masters of doing everything except the one thing that matters.

But here's what nobody talks about:

This isn't a productivity problem. It's a clarity problem.

The Ikigai Paradox

The Japanese have this concept called Ikigai, your "reason for being."

Most people think it's about finding your passion.

They're wrong.

Ikigai is actually the intersection of four questions:

1. What are you good at?

2. What does the world need?

3. What can you be paid for?

4. What do you love?

Here's the paradox: The clearer your Ikigai, the easier it becomes to ignore everything else.

When you know exactly why you wake up, those 47 tabs become 3.

Those 10 projects become 1.

That scattered energy becomes laser focus.

The Modern Focus Crisis

We don't have a focus problem. We have a "too many options" problem.

Your parents had 3 career paths. You have 3,000.

They had 5 TV channels. You have infinite content.

They met 50 potential partners in their lifetime. You swipe through 50 before breakfast.

More options = Less clarity = Scattered focus

The One Thing Framework

Here's what changed everything for me:

Instead of trying to do everything well, I asked myself:

"What's the ONE thing I could do today that would make everything else easier or unnecessary?"

For me, it was building Elevenstoic.

Not because it was easy. Not because it was guaranteed.

But because it aligned with all four Ikigai questions:

• Good at: Creating aesthetic content

• World needs: Real inspiration without the fluff

• Paid for: Brand partnerships, products, consulting

• Love: The creative process and community impact

Once I had that clarity, everything else fell away.

The side projects. The shiny objects. The "opportunities" that were really distractions.

Your Focus Audit

Take 5 minutes right now:

List everything you're currently working on. 

All of it. Every project, goal, commitment.

Now answer:

• Which ONE would change your life most if you succeeded?

• Which ones are you doing because you "should"?

• Which ones are actually someone else's dream?

Be brutal.

Most people discover they're living 80% of someone else's life.

The Compound Effect of Clarity

When you focus on ONE thing:

Week 1: You feel guilty about what you're not doing

Week 4: You start seeing small progress

Week 12: People notice something's different

Week 52: Your entire life has transformed

But when you focus on everything:

Week 1: You feel productive

Week 4: You feel overwhelmed

Week 12: You feel behind

Week 52: You're exactly where you started

The Permission You're Waiting For

Here it is:

You have permission to:

• Say no to good opportunities

• Disappoint people who don't share your vision

• Be "boring" while you build something meaningful

• Stop explaining your focus to people who won't understand

You DON'T need permission to:

• Start before you're ready

• Choose one path and commit

• Change direction if your Ikigai evolves

• Build the life you actually want

This Week's Challenge

The One Thing Experiment:

1. Pick ONE project/goal for this week

2. Every morning, work on it FIRST (before email, before social media)

3. Give it 90 minutes of pure focus

4. Track how much you accomplish vs. a normal week

I guarantee you'll achieve more in those 7 focused sessions than you have in the last month of multitasking.

The Bottom Line

Those 47 browser tabs aren't making you productive. They're making you poor.

Poor in time. Poor in energy. Poor in results.

The people winning in 2025 aren't the ones doing the most. They're the ones doing the least, but doing it with absolute clarity.

Find your ONE thing.

Everything else is noise.

Your better self, Richard
Founder, Elevenstoic

P.S. Speaking of focus, if you're serious about building something meaningful, you might want to see how I systemized the exact focus strategies that built Elevenstoic to 1M+ followers. But that's a conversation for another day. Today, just pick your ONE thing.