An ongoing entrepreneurial and executive challenge is 
blocking out all distractions and focusing and executing upon what is important above all else - pursuing opportunities of high value and potential for our companies.
These distractions are of various and nefarious types:
- Media Distractions, of the nonsensical and unimportant variety, and more discouragingly of the “hopeless tone” type and reporting on distressing political and social events (especially violent ones).
- Naysayer Distractions, those who tell us (these days because of political correctness, mostly in the unsaid), that we cannot/will not succeed, that our talent level is not high enough, our competition too good, the financial resources at our disposal too meager for us to have a chance at big success.
- Distractions of Self-Belief, of stamina, of maintaining the courage of our convictions, and our burning bright focus in the face of business adversity and of delays on our success journey.
The most successful businesspeople I know fight through these distractions and instead everyday do and focus on that most important thing - winning at business everything else be darned.
For Media Distractions, they insulate themselves as much as possible from the "anxiety-driven" news as is presented on the news networks (Fox, CNN, MSNBC, et al.), and instead nourish their minds and spirits with "business success" - based media like CNBC and Fortune, Entrepreneur, and Inc. Magazines.
Media that focuses on those that are winning at business, how they are doing it, and how they are overcoming strategic and tactical challenges in pursuit of those victories.
For Naysayers Distractions, for that lovely group of “friends” and family who drain our motive force and positive momentum through their negative thoughts and lack of encouragement, well the best businesspeople are just too busy with constructive action, with working on their businesses and themselves to have any time for the sideway glances and half - hearted words and efforts of the “Eyeores” chirping at their heels.
Yes, this may sound harsh, but it is a harshness in service of a greater good:building profitable, high cash flow private sector businesses.
Both because this is what we as businesspeople are uniquely trained, empowered, and positioned to do and because it is what this world of ours (and our Eyeorian friends too!) need so much more of.
For the Distractions of Self-Doubt, of maintaining the enthusiasm, stamina and willingness to make the sacrifices of time, energy, of life force to achieve big business success.
To this I say malarkey!
Pursuing business success is not a burden, but a blessing, one of the miraculous opportunities modern life has to offer, and one that only a very small percentage of humans that have walked the earth have had the privilege to do.
Embrace it, enjoy it. Let’s be happy warriors - businessmen and women that find and relish the fun and excitement that is the game of business.
And as we do, the news of the day magically starts sounding a bit less distressing, the naysayers among us a bit less discouraging, our self-talk more opportunity-focused and yes the hard work we do in and on our businesses starts yielding more and faster results.
Everything else really is malarkey!