How to Stay Focused Without Letting Curiosity Derail Your Goals
A few years ago, I had a realization that cost me a lot of time. I want you to be aware of it, because it might save you years of wandering in circles.
We live in a time where information is everywhere, and it’s tempting to want to do everything. For years, I wanted to create a video game using Unreal Engine 4—now it’s Unreal Engine 5. I started, stopped, started again, but never finished. Each time I picked it up, the knowledge I’d gained faded, became vague, and eventually slipped away. Looking back, maybe I shouldn’t have started at all—or at least, I should have finished what I began.
Making a video game takes a huge amount of time. I first started with Unreal Engine 4 back in 2016—over eight years ago. I picked it up again in 2020 and 2021, especially during the pandemic, but still, I never finished. It took up a lot of my time and distracted me from things I was already good at.
I’ve always loved video games. As a kid, I devoured every issue of Nintendo and PlayStation magazines. I had a whole stack of them. Even in the “Picsou” magazine, I’d go straight to the video game section every month. I loved Star Fox, Zelda, Mario, Call of Duty, Resistance—so it made sense that I’d want to make my own game one day.
But here’s the thing: I didn’t get into programming and computers because of video games. My first goal was to build dating sites, then social networks, and eventually, I created my own CMS so anyone could build their own social or dating site in three minutes. Back then, there were platforms like Joomla, Dolphin, SkaDate, VLD Personals, and SocialScript. I was right in the middle of all that, and I loved it. I had some success, then moved on to other things, went back to school, and now I’m much more focused on data science.
It’s so easy to lose focus. It’s so easy to want to do too many things at once. The truth is, we only have one day at a time. We can’t do everything. If you want to be good at something, you have to focus on one thing.
I’m naturally curious. Some people say that’s a strength. For me, it’s a weakness, because it makes it hard to concentrate. Curiosity is great, but you also need focus. Sometimes I have so many ideas that I try to do everything at once, and by the end of the day, I haven’t done anything concrete.
Being 100% focused, having resilience and discipline to do one thing at a time—that’s a huge advantage. Tell yourself: “Now is not the time for that. I’ll finish my current task first.” When you set a goal, give yourself a deadline. For every goal, you need a clear outcome. What do you want to achieve? If you want to build a video game—a mini Star Fox, a mini Call of Duty, a mini Assassin’s Creed, or Animal Crossing—what’s the outcome? Maybe you’ll become a better programmer. Maybe you’ll land a job at Nintendo in Tokyo, or at Ubisoft in Montreal, or at another well-known studio.
Most video game studios started in the late 90s or early 2000s and are still around. They don’t release many games—maybe one every three or four years—but that’s enough to keep going. Big companies like Ubisoft have bought so many studios, they have offices all over the world. But what matters for you is: What do you want? What’s your outcome? Is it to get a job? To learn a skill? Set a deadline. Decide how many hours you’re willing to spend each day—one hour, two hours? When do you want to finish your project? A month? Probably not enough for a game, but maybe for something else, like a small SaaS.
Give your time value. Time is our most important resource. Money comes and goes, but time only goes. You can lose money and earn it back, but lost time is gone forever. You can’t stop time; it keeps moving whether you do anything or not.
Ask yourself: “Did I enjoy the last two hours? Did I use them well?” If not, how could you have spent them better? Every couple of hours, pause for 20 seconds and reflect. Maybe you’ll realize you spent too much time watching videos that didn’t help you, or reading news that only filled your mind with negativity. Most news is negative, and if you only consume negative sources, your view of reality becomes distorted. You’ll be more afraid, do less, and put up your own barriers.
It’s important to surround yourself with positive people. If you can’t do it in person, do it virtually—listen to conferences, podcasts, audiobooks, or courses. I love my Kindle for this. There are so many ways to feed your mind with positive things, and that’s crucial.
Time is the only resource you can never get back. Spend it wisely. — Anonymous
If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one. — Russian proverb
Stay focused. Choose one thing. Give yourself a clear goal and a deadline. Value your time. Feed your mind with positive things and people. That’s how you keep the circle of success alive.
Key Takeaways
- Focus on one thing at a time; curiosity is good, but too much can scatter your efforts.
- Set clear goals with deadlines and outcomes.
- Value your time above all—once it’s gone, it’s gone.
- Regularly reflect on how you spend your time.
- Surround yourself with positive influences, both in person and virtually.
Action Steps
- Pick one project or goal to focus on this month.
- Set a clear deadline and outcome for it.
- Schedule daily or weekly check-ins to reflect on your progress and time use.
- Replace negative content with positive, educational, or inspiring material.
Reflection
- Am I spreading myself too thin with too many projects?
- How did I spend my last two hours? Was it worth it?
- What’s one thing I can focus on right now that will move me forward?
Pierre-Henry Soria
#Focus #Goal-Setting #Personal Development #Productivity #Success Habits #Tasks #Tech #Time-Management