Here's a three-step exercise: Step 1: Write down your 25 most important goals.

Step 2: Circle your top 5.

Step 3: The remaining 20... avoid them at all costs.

Here's the mental trick that crushes most people: those 20 discarded goals aren't your "B list." They're your list of deadly distractions. They're enticing enough to steal your time, but not important enough to change your life. Perhaps we think, "I'd better work on the top 5 and leave the other 20 for later." The answer is devastating: "No. Everything you don't circle just becomes your 'avoid at all costs' list. Don't give them any attention until you've succeeded with your top 5."

Why it works (and why it hurts to apply): The human brain isn't designed for this ruthless clarity. We love keeping options open. We like to think we can do everything "eventually." But focus isn't about available time; it's about cognitive energy. Every unfulfilled goal on your radar consumes mental RAM. Every half-finished project drains momentum from what truly matters.

The 5/25 rule forces you to kill your good intentions so your big dreams can breathe. It's not magic. It's conscious renunciation. What makes this rule powerful isn't the list of five priorities. That's the easy part. The difficult, transformative part is the discipline of systematically saying "no" to everything else.

It needs to be understood better than anyone: the opportunity cost isn't just the time you waste. It's the life you don't build while you're busy being "productive" on secondary things.

The 5/25 rule isn't magic. It's focus. And focus is the secret weapon of those who go far.