The Art of Focus — A Book Review by Joe Rapoza
Warning: This review is 3,356 words long.
Reading time: 15 minutes.
QUICK SUMMARY
This is a review of the book, The Art of Focus by Dan Koe. Reviewed by Joe Rapoza.
The bulk of this book is in 3 parts:
Part I: Find Meaning
Part II: Reinvent Yourself
Part III: Create Your Ideal Future
Before the main section, there’s a 1,056-word Foreword by Dan’s friend and colleague, Joey Justice.
After this is an Introduction by Dan with three parts:
- A World Full of Distractions
- Why Focus?
- What to Expect
At the end of the book is the outro:
- Resources & Inspiration
- About the Author
- The Meaning Behind the Symbol — this is the 3 concentric circles on the cover of the book that Dan calls The Foci (the plural of Focus)
WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK?
Short answer: Everyone.
Long answer: Especially the people who will immediately disagree with it.
REVIEW INTRODUCTION — Who is this guy?
Although I’ve never met Dan Koe in real life, I’m very familiar with his content. So much so, that I’ve had brief contact with him via email and social media a few times.
I first encountered Dan’s work during the Pandemic. Don’t ask me exactly when, because those years are a blur for me.
Being a creator myself, I follow Dan because he is many steps ahead of me. I find the value of his content essential to understanding how I may fit into the Creator Economy and what I should do, and not do.
Dan calls this long-term pursuit the Infinite Game, which rings true to the philosophy of Simon Sinek, whose content I also value and consume.
To better educate myself, I subscribe to Dan’s YouTube Channel and his Koe Letters (newsletter). Plus, I follow him on all Social Media platforms for daily updates.
Last year, I took his Solopreneaur Sprints course. This happened a few months before he published The Art of Focus.
I won’t go into much detail about the Introduction of Dan’s new book, but I did want to quote the first sentence.
“We are at a pivotal moment in human evolution.”
Now, you may be thinking, “Duh, couldn’t we say this for almost any generation throughout human history? This isn’t novel in any way, is it?”
Well, this is where your immediate reaction wouldn’t be accurate. Why? Because you don’t live in the past. You live in the here and now. And that’s why you should think long and hard about Dan’s opening statement and what it could mean for you.
Dan’s opening sentence makes you think.
He wants you to become more aware and stop pretending you know all the answers. Because new questions and new answers are being discovered every day in the year 2024. If you look away, you could miss something important.
Dan wants you to wake up, stop letting yourself become distracted, and focus.
That’s all I have to say about the introduction because I want to get into the meat of Dan’s message.
SPOILER ALERT
In chapter 11 The Project, I found the meaning of the entire book. If you don’t want it spoiled, move on to the next section.
But if you want the answer now, keep reading.
Ready? Last warning to skip in 1…2…3…
START SPOILER
“Humans learn best when they pursue a goal, encounter a problem, remain conscious of that problem, notice information that can solve that problem, rapidly act on that information, and go on to teach what they learn to others.”
I bought the paper back copy of The Art of Focus, and I put black brackets around that paragraph.
When I read it, I knew this was Dan’s entire message.
- Learn by pursuing a goal
- Pay attention to what you learn
- Extract the meaning and importance
- Use that knowledge to solve your own problems
- Package up that knowledge so others may benefit from it
This is the creative act, powered by your focus. Simple.
If you got what you needed from this review, feel free to stop here.
If you’re curious like me, read on because it only gets better.
CONTINUE READING HERE IF YOU SKIPPED THE SPOILER
REVIEW OF PART I — FIND MEANING
The first main part consists of 3 chapters (1–3)
- Chapter 1: The Principle
- Chapter 2: The 3 Pillars
- Chapter 3: The Universe
In chapter 1, Dan sets up a tension between how a beginner approaches a problem and how a master approaches one.
He’s not putting down beginners, since we all have to begin somewhere. He mentions this to set up an understanding of how you can transform from a beginner and to become a master. Because the steps taken to master something become exponentially harder as you progress.
In simple terms, mastery is not easy and, because of this, many quit before they can encounter its powers.
Early in this chapter, Dan reveals what he calls “the supreme law of the Universe.” The law that nothing is permanent. The force and states of change that are forever moving in a single direction. The unrelenting chaos that comes from ENTROPY.
Entropy is a term from the second law of thermodynamics, which represents the unavailability of thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work. It represents the disorder of a system.
In other words, outside energy needs to be applied to a system in order to make a change in that system that’s different than its normal state.
Dan uses the terms entropy, disorder, and chaos throughout the book. Feel free to think of these as synonyms.
Dan uses entropy as an obvious symbol of chaos and inertia, but it also cleverly represents the mundane state our lives can have.
“Wake up. Hit snooze 4 times. Stare at your phone. Roll out of bed. Make coffee. Sit in traffic. Eight hours of unfulfilling work. Sit in traffic…again. Argue with your ‘significant’ other. Walk the pet. Watch TV. Pass out. Repeat.”
Along with the entropy theme, other themes in the book are:
- Habits
- Balance
- Purpose
- Systems
- Curiosity
- Selfishness
- Consciousness
- Questioning beliefs
- Self-experimentation
- And, of course: Focus
In fact, in the second chapter, Dan mentions his 3 Pillars, the first being Focus.
- Focus
- Energy
- Experience
Dan says that focus is misunderstood and is “a lost art in a distracted world.”
He goes on to mention that in order to train your focus, you should pursue interest-based goals so that you can become aware of new information that will lead to your evolution.
So, change comes from being open to new ideas, focusing on them to solve your problems, and to evolve in the process.
Dan often mentions the 4 “life domains” of health, wealth, relationships, and happiness.
You may be familiar with them if you’ve seen his videos or read his letters.
If you’re not focusing on these daily, you’re on the “default” path. The mundane path. The path that someone else laid out for you.
I provide an example of the health domain later in the review. But for now, let’s get back to the pillars.
Of the 3 pillars, Experience is the one that caught my attention the most. It’s in this section that my highlighter went mad and black ink scrawls appeared in the margins of pages 45–47.
A highlight from this section:
“To sustain maximum enjoyment, you need ample experience. What is experience? It is what’s right in front of you.”
The reason I like this pillar the most is because it grounds you in the here and now.
Dan says that everything outside of the present moment, isn’t direct experience. Which means that if you focus on the now, you can stave off overthinking, overwhelm, and overanalysis.
Now, Dan isn’t saying to never think about the future, it’s more as though you don’t have to.
You see, if you’re pursuing your purpose and taking daily positive actions to move in that direction, you’ll soon meet yourself in the future. Which will become your new now.
Dan also recommends experimentation to find out what works best for you. And to resist jumping on the latest fad.
He uses dieting as an example.
Diets rarely work the same for everyone. So, if you try the latest diet, don’t let it surprise you if you don’t get the results you wanted.
On an episode of the Huberman Lab podcast, producer Rick Rubin mentioned that he was a vegan for 20 years. Being overweight, Rick switched to a high protein, low carb diet as recommended by his doctor. This allowed Rick to lose 130lbs and he now feels healthier than ever before.
Rick’s intention to become a vegan was a noble act, but noble acts don’t have a direct connection to sustaining a healthy body.
Although he had the best intentions to become healthier by being a vegan, Rick’s decision wasn’t the best one for him.
To me, Rick’s story relates directly to Dan’s core message on experimentation.
Figure out what your goals are first, and create a system that includes a holistic approach. Yes, a diet is more than the food you eat, which we all know is an important element to good health.
But, isn’t the ultimate goal of a diet to become a healthier person, look fit, and feel good about yourself so you can live a long and fulfilling life?
Yes. That was a rhetorical question.
To close out this chapter I want to mention the section named The Human Condition.
Here, Dan mentions the distinction that humans have over other animals. Although all animals are driven by instinct, humans are also driven by our desire to survive the information in our consciousness, and “we attempt to replicate the concept of self.”
He then talks about 2 polar ends of focus:
- Doing
- Being
Doing is the radical narrow focus we have when doing immediate tasks.
Being is the radical open focus we have that “grasps at nothing.”
Both types of focus can be goal-oriented but neither of them are focused outside of the present moment.
Takeaways: be present and experiment.
REVIEW OF PART II — REINVENT YOURSELF
The second section consists of 4 chapters (4–7)
- Chapter 4: The Self
- Chapter 5: The Game
- Chapter 6: The Lens
- Chapter 7: The Formula
Chapter 4 marks where Dan kicks in hard with his metaphysical, spiritual, and philosophical writing.
In the section called “Self and Other,” he starts with a rather hairy topic: Existence.
He poses two questions that we often ask ourselves:
- Who am I? (intrinsic)
- What is my purpose? (extrinsic)
We may sometimes ask ourselves these two questions, and lately, I’ve been contemplating them more and more each day.
It started last February, 2023.
This is when I dove back into social media head first to learn more about the creator economy. I started following and engaging with more creators like Dan on Twitter (𝕏).
I also started to think more about my health. At 185lbs, I was not at a healthy weight for my height.
To combat this, I took on two morning habits:
- I stopped adding sweetener to my coffee
- I started doing pushups
Today, as I write this, I’m much more fit at 154lbs, have joined a gym, and have the ability to do a rep of 110 pushups each morning. Up from my max of 8, last February.
You may call this bragging or flexing. But, it’s known by a more uncommon term called progress.
Progress from removing a bad habit, consuming unnecessary sugar.
And adding in a good habit called daily exercise.
My intrinsic motivation, reinforced by an extrinsic purpose, helped in my health domain.
Who I was at 185lbs wasn’t who I wanted to be. So, I became my own project. I set goals to meet a healthier weight and to meet this new me in the future. My new now.
My story ties well with this section of The Art of Focus where Dan talks about how nothing is static. Like everything in life has a cyclical nature of permanent impermanence. A never ending movement of departure and return.
“If we remember the division and reunion of a body of water, like the ocean to clouds to rain to puddles to ocean, we can start to understand that a cloud is not static. Since this principle of impermanence is universal, nothing is static, not even you, your state of mind, or who you think you are.”
LIFE IS A VIDEO GAME
In chapter 5, The Game, the author goes deep into his notion about how life itself is like a video game with its own challenges and rewards.
But this analogy of life isn’t unique to Dan’s ideas. It goes back much further.
In fact this “Simulation Hypothesis” is something that Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking agreed about (to a certain extent).
This hypothesis was popularized by philosopher Nick Bostrum in his 2003 paper, “Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?”
But this idea was mentioned over a quarter century earlier by science fiction author, Philip K. Dick.
At a speech in Metz, France in 1977, Philip K. Dick said, “We are living in a computer-programmed reality and the only clue we have to it is when some variable is changed and some alteration in our reality occurs”.
So, as I was saying, Dan says that situations are like games. And if you can think about life’s challenges as a game, you’re able to turn the mundane into something fun.
I buy into this idea. The only problem is that someone of my age (Gen X) is playing this game with some hardwiring in their psyche. And this internal code is hard to reprogram: go to school, get a degree, work a job.
Trying to flip a switch one day to see the world differently ain’t going to happen overnight. In fact, I sometimes doubt it will ever happen based on the combination of fear, anxiety, and responsibility I’m saddled with sometimes.
Could this be why I’m writing this review right now? Could this be why it’s over 3,000 words? Maybe I do have something to say and I want people to hear what that is?
I mean, if you’ve read this far, I love you at this point. Thanks for sticking with me and knowing that I’m not wasting my time.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe in the power and importance of all creative acts, but I’m not sure I want to follow the rules of the old game or the new game.
Well, that’s where Dan’s book has helped me the most. Reading the Art of Focus has showed me that I can create my own game. A game I’ll start myself and see if others join in.
This came to me from the part in the book where Dan talks about your “ideal future.”
“If your ideal future — or life’s work, vision, or purpose — seem out of reach, this can cause you to hesitate when acting toward a better future. Because it is uncertain, which invokes anxiety. A plan creates clarity, and clarity creates action.”
That’s it. I need a plan. A plan I can execute on my own, with a clear purpose. My plan will provide clarity and having that clarity will empower me to take the right actions.
Maybe this isn’t impossible after all? I mean, it’s all just a game, right?
REVIEW OF PART III — CREATE YOUR IDEAL FUTURE
The third and final section consists of 5 chapters (8–12)
- Chapter 8: The Shift
- Chapter 9: The New Rich
- Chapter 10: The Skill Stack
- Chapter 11: The Project
- Chapter 12: The Vessel
In thew last section, Dan gets less philosophical and treads heavier into the pragmatic aspects of his teachings.
Reading this next quote may make you think that I’m contradicting myself with that statement, but I’ll explain my rationale shortly.
“The first lesson of any teaching should be to encourage the questioning of any teaching.”
This is a wonderful quote because it’s not only circular and self-reflective, it’s true.
You see, any good teaching that teaches you to question it, is going to make you think. It’s going to move you to take action and figure things out on your own — but with a little head start.
When you learn anything new, question its authority, its validity, and its source. This itself is a powerful teaching.
When you question something, you’re not doubting it, you’re validating it. By testing the teaching, one of 3 things happen:
- You find that it’s valid
- You find that it’s invalid
- You find it’s inconclusive
The first 2 give you insight to move forward, knowing where you and that teaching stand.
The last one gives you a spark of curiosity to dig a little deeper, so you can find the right information to crack its mystery.
This is powerful in many ways as it allows you to build a habit and rigor in learning, which will only make you smarter and more productive.
“Knowledge not found in schools is the source of money not found in employment…”
This reinforces the idea that the internet has democratized wealth creation for those who take responsibility for their education and personal knowledge development.
Dan also encourages the reader to create content on the internet, start a business, and take control of where your money comes from. A single source of revenue from a 9–5 is great, until that job is taken from you against your will through a layoff.
Your employer may indeed need a hardworking, dedicated employee such as you, but this won’t last forever. The world is changing rapidly with tech advancements happening faster than ever before and you don’t want to have all your eggs in one basket.
Anyone can create a strong personal brand with the right dedication on social media. Twitter (𝕏), TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn are your playgrounds.
And many of these larger brands are getting noticed for the value they provide their audiences. Their influence is getting noticed by large corporations who want to hire these creators to find out how they’re so successful.
The popular creators with thousands of followers are joining the new rich. It’s no easy task to get there, but you never will without starting, learning, and creating.
The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll learn from your mistakes.
Actions → Outcomes → Goals
Dan’s secret to his success stems from his daily routines which he carefully manufactures each week. He’s even created his own planner that you can buy on his website to help you get started.
Dan closes out chapter 9 with a simple way for you to study:
“…study through the lens of the vision, goal, or problem that is most prevalent in your life. This is how you read a book 3 times in different phases of your life and gain entirely new insights each time around.”
Most study for the sake of learning the material, but when will it be applied? Dan’s method allows you to apply it while you learn it. This allows for learning in a proper context, and gives you a project to show for it when you’re done.
That’s pretty ingenious if you ask me.
In closing, I hope this review has given you a good idea of what this book is about and whether or not it’s the right book for you to read.
I obviously think it is, since I wrote 3,356 words to tell you about it.
Lastly, if you haven’t already made the connection, this review was my project.
Its existence was how I chose to learn the material in Dan’s book and how I learned from it.
I hope you learn something from it too.
Peace.
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